August 2010, Cameron and I went for a short trip up to Churchill, Canada.
Visited the polar bear jail.
We also took a boat up the enormous Hudson Bay to look for bears. We all had to dress in survival suits in case of falling overboard or the boat sinking.
We were up here to experience the beluga whales first and foremost and so we did in every manner possible. First via a boat where we were surrounded by the snow white mothers and their gray babies. Our guide put a microphone in the water so that we could hear why they are called "the canaries of the sea". Next, we kayaked with the whales and they would come right up to the boat out of curiosity. Finally, we donned dry suits and jumped in the water with them!
We were blessed with seeing a mother and her two cubs and two adult males eating what appeared to be leftover beluga whale, perhaps from one hunted by the local inuits who are still allowed to kill them.
In the evenings we would dine at different local restaurants, our favorite being the Tundra Inn; Pub Grub Lounge.
We were told that there had been a solar flare and so we could see the Northern lights out of season.
On our last day we decided to take a helicopter ride so that we could get an overview of all that we had seen and experienced. Absolutely breathtaking! First of all we could see the three street town of Churchill nestled between Goose Creek the enormous Hudson Bay.
In the creek, thousand of white and gray specks of beluga whales! And over the land we discovered that that was where all the polar bears were hiding!
