Five reasons to holiday in Churchill

From trailing fluffy polar bears and swimming with beluga whales, to waiting for the elusive Northern lights… there’s never a dull moment in this ice-filled landscape, finds out VIJAYA PRATAP

Swim with Beluga whales in Churchill

On my flight from Winnipeg to Churchill, for almost three hours, I look at a dismal landscape, devoid of any colour except an endless, scary ash-brown. As the aircraft starts descending, for a moment I feel that I am landing on the moon. The ice wedge polygons look alien and the pingos look like lunar craters. But once I get to know Churchill, I am rewarded with an unparalleled Arctic adventure.

Watching polar bears

A polar bear greets us while entering Churchill. Called the polar bear capital of the world, this town lives up to its reputation. Before our excited shrieking stops and I pull out my camera, the bear disappears, leaving us in awe. Later that evening, on Hudson Bay, I see a mother and cub snugly cuddled up on the rocks, probably after a heavy dinner. They gather here, waiting for the ice to freeze, so that they can hunt seals… bears can be seen from close quarters. Though the top season for polar bears is October/November, you can spot them during summers as well. On-board the big, white, custom-built Arctic Crawler tundra vehicle, we enjoy the vast and varied landscape, while keeping a close watch for birds, Arctic fox, Arctic hare and polar bears.

Kayaking with beluga whales

Armed in thick wet suits, we have a whale of a time as the loveable creatures swim along the kayak, following us everywhere. The merry creatures pop up and go down in a fraction of a second, making it impossible to take pictures. I give up and just gaze at them, enjoying every minute. We sing to attract the belugas and scream in delight when they come too close.

Snorkelling in the Sub-Arctic

It is the ultimate summer adventure, provided you are game to take the plunge into ice-cold waters. Not to worry – the dry suit gives 98 per cent protection from the cold. Once you float face down in a sub-Arctic river, you will hear distant squeals and whistles and then spot a ghostly beluga whale swim past. Around 60,000 belugas flock to Hudson Bay during summer, so it’s (almost) guaranteed you’ll touch one. You can always boast later that you swam in the Arctic, that too, with beluga whales for company.

Dog carting

Gerald and Jenafor Azure, dog-carting enthusiasts, entertain as well as educate us about their huskies. During their dog-carting excursion, we learnt about their dog sledding traditions and their importance as a form of transportation in the north, while relishing Jenafor’s freshly baked bannock with cloudberry jam. The dog-carting part is good fun as you hold on tight behind the wheel on a mile-long dog-cart ride through the northern boreal forest, as Gerald makes the huskies run at great speed.

Hudson Bay Coastal Boat Tour

Don a ‘Helly Hansen Survival Suit’ and get aboard the Samuel Hearne Boat to get a feeling of an ocean explorer. Travel north along the Hudson Bay Coast to Seal River and other river estuaries and islands to see polar bears, more beluga whales and follow cute little siq siqs (lemmings) running all over at Hubbard Point. A picnic lunch is served on the boat that is also equipped with a washroom.

Northern lights

This comes to me as a bonus, fulfilling my life’s dream. As I look up at the sky in the Boreal Forest, a fluorescent green swirl unfurls across the black and the entire sky illuminates with ethereal green. Witnessing the Aurora borealis above Churchill is indeed an awe-inducing spectacle.