Churchill’s Belugas, Polar Bears & Arctic Wildlife

Through the perspective of a gratified Nat Hab traveler, get an aerial view of beluga whales swimming in the Churchill River and watch polar bears roaming the rocky shoreline of Hudson Bay.

On our Arctic summer adventure, we get the opportunity to kayak at eye-level with beluga whales in the mouth of the Churchill River. Watch the glee on this Nat Hab traveler's face as the curious marine mammals follow closely behind her kayak!

Western Hudson Bay is home to the longest-running polar bear research program in the world, a 50-year effort that has tracked thousands of individuals to reveal how this species lives and adapts. Decades of data have illuminated polar bear genetics, behavior, movements and survival, while also showing the profound impacts of a warming climate on the Arctic. Ph.D. candidate and Nat Hab Expedition Leader Kristina Disney will share the studies that have shaped our understanding of polar bears, highlight what makes this population unique and explore why long-term science is essential to protecting the species into the future.

Each summer, Churchill, Manitoba, bursts with life as beluga whales, polar bears, ringed and bearded seals and countless seabirds gather in the subarctic. Fresh from the field, Expedition Leader Kristina Disney shares highlights from the just-wrapped season: wildlife sightings, guest-favorite moments and ecological shifts she observed throughout the summer. Discover how this rich ecosystem supports life on land and sea and why so many creatures migrate vast distances to get here.

Our summer adventures in Churchill, Manitoba, offer entrancing encounters with beluga whales—but their story stretches far beyond Hudson Bay. In Part 3 of this captivating series, Expedition Leader Kristina Disney reveals even more about these highly social Arctic whales. Learn about their seasonal diet and long-range migrations, meet some of their predators like polar bears and orcas, and discover how they navigate life in a rapidly changing Arctic. This deeper dive also offers new insight into why Churchill remains such a vital part of their world.