Autumn comes early to the Canadian North, and it's a magical time in Churchill, where seasonal shifts bring a chance to spot polar bears, beluga whales and the northern lights on the same adventure. By late August, the subarctic air turns crisp, inviting a sweater for going exploring. The tundra, leaving behind the emerald green of high summer, has become a tapestry of burgundy, russet and gold—and a photogenic backdrop for creamy white polar bears in the foreground. We may see mothers and cubs roaming, anticipating the freeze-up of Hudson Bay to by late fall, when they will move onto the sea ice for hunting season. Hundreds of friendly white beluga whales still crowd the Churchill River until mid-September, when they start to migrate north out of the bay and into the Arctic Ocean. And with daylight diminishing and darkness returning to the night sky, the aurora makes her appearance again, dancing among the stars on clear nights.
Look for Bears & Belugas Amidst the Colors of Autumn
As early fall turns the tundra to red and gold, roving polar bears stand out, and white whales are still on view before returning to open waters for the winter
Watch for the Northern Lights from a Remote Lodge
By late August, nights darken, making the aurora visible again when it appears in clear, starry skies—enjoy unimpeded viewing from our lodge well outside town
Take a Scenic Helicopter Flight to a Polar Bear Den
Survey tundra, taiga and Hudson Bay from on high as we fly over the subarctic terrain and land at a vacant polar bear den to peek inside
