Canada & the North
If you’re a wildlife lover and you hear “Churchill, Canada,” you likely think of polar bears. And you’d be right—after all, Churchill is considered the Polar Bear Capital of the World. But Churchill’s polar bears share the limelight with another fascinating creature, this one aquatic: the beluga whale.
Churchill Polar Bears
As the end-of-the-year holidays approach, themes of ice-skating rinks, snowflakes and cute polar bears in sweaters decorate many homes and shops.
Nature & Wildlife
What is the sound of nearly two million wildebeest and zebra moving across the plains of Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara? Clichéd as it sounds, it’s nearly indescribable. Sublime, really. I’ve witnessed this massive migration firsthand, and you feel it more than you hear it.
Canada & the North
By Nat Hab Expedition Leader Eddy Savage I would say most travelers heading to Churchill, Manitoba, in the summertime come to see the charismatic beluga whales that migrate to the Churchill River Estuary each year.
Conservation
Plastics are the most prevalent type of marine debris found in the Great Lakes and in the oceans. Plastic pollution pieces come in all shapes and sizes, but those that are less than 0.2 inches (or five millimeters) in length—about the size of a sesame seed—are called “microplastics.”
Canada & the North
One of the highlights of our Whales & Nature Trails of Quebec adventure? The opportunity to hike in four diverse national parks: Saguenay Fjord, Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie, Grands-Jardins and Jacques-Cartier. Exploring these different regions by foot, you’ll pass through glacial valleys and stop to admire dramatic mountains and gorges.
Canada & the North
Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park is one of French Canada’s best-kept secrets. Home to more than 2,200 species, this National Marine Conservation Area offers some of the best whale watching in the world. From May through October, these giant marine mammals congregate where the Saguenay River meets the St. Lawrence Estuary.
Canada & the North
Meeting a curious cetacean at eye level is a soul-stirring experience for wildlife enthusiasts. Imagine setting off by kayak and getting up close and personal with a beguiling beluga (and 3,000 of its closest friends) at the mouth of the Churchill River—no aquarium glass to separate you.
Canada & the North
A Subarctic Summer Churchill rests at the ecological crossroads of three regions: the tree-lined Northern Canadian Shield taiga, the Southern Hudson Bay taiga (which contains some of the most extensive wetland complexes in North America) and the shrub-covered Low Arctic tundra.
Canada & the North
When Churchill, Manitoba is name dropped, most people automatically think of icy Arctic winters and polar bears—after all, Churchill is considered the Polar Bear Capital of the World.
Nature & Wildlife
Much like us, other animals have “languages” that they use in order to communicate with members of their own species. For example, prairie dogs have developed different “words” to describe various predators—barks, squeals and squeaks that contain different numbers of rhythmic chirps and frequency modulations to distinguish which one is currently after them.
Antarctica & Arctic
Growing up in the Arctic regions of Canada made a lasting impression on National Geographic Young Explorer Nansen Weber. When he wasn’t out guiding guests who visited his parents remote lodge on the otherwise uninhabited Somerset Island, he was out exploring—often accompanied by a handheld camera and a camera drone.
