Trip Overview- Look eye to eye with friendly beluga whales from our Zodiac boats on the Churchill River
- Scout for northern wildlife on a tundra vehicle tour near the shores of Hudson Bay
- Explore the stone ruins of a centuries-old fort and learn about Churchill’s Arctic frontier past
Ever bobbed with a beluga? Talked to a ptarmigan? Taken a tundra safari? One thing is certain, an escape to Churchill is no standard summer vacation. Leave the crowds behind and come up north – way up north – to a magic land of high summer sun, Arctic wildlife, native lore and colorful frontier history. Here where boreal forest meets tundra plain, caribou browse, snowy owls soar, and thousands of beluga whales swim up the Churchill River to feast on a frenzy of fish. Meet them on land and sea on an active family adventure that’s sure to captivate all ages.
In the summer, Churchill comes to life with a carpet of wildflowers on the tundra, caribou migration and abundant birdlife. Perhaps most impressive is the migration of some 3,000 beluga whales into the Seal and Churchill rivers, where we observe these ghost-like creatures often within arm’s length. We may also have chances to view mother polar bears and their cubs, as they remain in the area all summer long. Be aware that at times black flies or mosquitoes may be present. Because we arrange our activities to avoid them as much as possible, they are generally not a problem.
Family Departure: On our Family Departures we do not take the train between Churchill and Winnipeg but fly both ways. Family-friendly activities will vary depending on weather conditions and the interest of the group.
Group Limit Approximately 14 travelers
A very important feature of our arctic summer adventure is the limited group size as nature expeditions are best experienced with smaller sized groups of travelers.
Physical Requirements
Easy / Flexible
This trip includes short walks (one to two miles – the longer ones are optional). Most required walks do not exceed 1/2 mile.
Proof of Citizenship
NOTE: BEGINNING JANUARY 8, 2007, ALL U.S. CITIZENS TRAVELING VIA AIR OR SEA WILL REQUIRE A VALID PASSPORT TO ENTER CANADA. Please note that birth certificates and other government-issued photo I.D.’s will NO LONGER be accepted for entry.
Current Local Weather
Day 1: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Arrive in Winnipeg and transfer to the Fort Garry Hotel, built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The historic French-style chateau still offers the finest hospitality in Manitoba’s capital city, the cultural and commercial center of the eastern Canadian prairies. Meet your Expedition Leader and fellow Far North explorers at a welcome dinner this evening.
Day 2: Winnipeg / Churchill
Our first encounter with northern nature is a visit to Oak Hammock Marsh and Interpretive Centre, a restored prairie marsh on the outskirts of Winnipeg featuring 300 species of birds, and numerous amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. After lunch we fly 2-1/2 hours north to Churchill, gateway to the Arctic and our base for an amazing week of adventure. This evening our Expedition Leader shares a slide presentation on beluga whales, whetting our enthusiasm for the excitement ahead. The near-perpetual daylight of a far-north summer makes it hard to think about going to sleep tonight, as the sun barely dips below the horizon before circling around again.
Days 3 - 5: Whale Watching / Exploring Churchill
The natural wonders of the North unfold as we spend three days observing friendly belugas and searching for other wildlife in the taiga and tundra habitats. We’ll scout for the small white whales from private motorized Zodiacs, coming in close for an eye-level view of these charming, rotund cretaceans. Each summer more than 3,000 belugas swim up the Churchill and Seal rivers to feed on schools of capelin, scratch their underbellies on the shallow gravel riverbed, and sometimes to breed. With their unusual ability to turn their heads from side to side, they appear to be as curious about us as we are about them, and we are delighted by their playful interactions with us. Through a hydrophone on board we can even listen to their unusual songs.
Another day we shuttle across the river by boat to Sloop Cove, investigating the area on foot as we make our way to Fort Prince of Wales. The stone ruins of this fort offer a fascinating glimpse into Churchill’s historical significance as a trading center and stopover point for international explorers searching for the legendary Northwest Passage. The original construction of the fort was built by Danish explorer Jens Monk in 1619 and is also where the Hudson’s Bay Company established one of its original fur-trading posts.
Our activities also include whale watching from a larger boat, allowing us to see many whales at one time from a broader perspective. Back on terra firma, we travel cross-country in special tundra vehicles on a “northern safari,” watching for abundant wildlife here where dense boreal forest meets the vast expanse of the tundra. We may see caribou with calves, snowy owl, Arctic fox and ptarmigan. If we’re very lucky, we might even see polar bears; sometimes mothers with cubs are found in the area at this time of year. Any remaining hours hold yet more captivating activities such as fossil hunts, bird watching, watercolor painting, tide pool exploration, or nature walks on plenty of inviting trails, some of which are decorated with Arctic wildflowers during high summer.
Day 6: Churchill / Winnipeg
Today we reluctantly board our plane back to Winnipeg, though memories of our northern summer adventures will linger long after we return to lower latitudes. If flight schedules permit, we will visit the Manitoba Museum this afternoon, renowned for its exhibits on northern nature and culture, where we’ll embark upon a parent-child scavenger hunt so engrossing kids won’t even realize they’re learning.
Day 7: Home
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.
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