At this time of year it is safe to report that polar bears are on the ice and feasting during what would be considered the best feeding time of the year. The Hudson Bay is frozen as far as the eye can see. If you go up in a plane you can see swaths of open water which quickly freezes over once again due to tide wind and current in the Hudson Bay. If there were no open water it would make life extremely difficult for our resident seal population to survive our winters. Polar bears can do as much as 90% of their winter feeding during the months of February, March, April, and May.

Due to the extreme ice cover on the Hudson Bay, the seals are often relegated to using breathing holes in the ice and, when available, the water that is exposed for brief periods of time. Our Polar Bear Tours are conducted during two different times each year. Our summer tours happen during the Polar Bear Holiday season. During the month of July, the Hudson Bay ice quickly dissipates with the summer sun and long days, inviting our polar bears to prime points of land along the Hudson Bay. During last summer’s polar bear season, all our clients enjoyed watching polar bears at this time, a unique time when our Polar Bear Tours use a large boat to access areas far from the town of Churchill. We often see polar bears interacting with beluga whales and following seals through the clear waters of the Hudson Bay. This is a very unique season for us where families can travel together for a Polar Bear Holiday during the summer holiday period.

Our Fall-Winter season watches the Churchill polar bears when we perform our Polar Bear Tours by tundra bus. Our tundra buses traverse the edge of the Hudson Bay while the polar bears are eagerly awaiting the ice to form. They are hungry and eager to get aboard an ice floe which they know will start to form soon. It is because of this eagerness to start their hunting season on the ice that they start to collect along the coastline around the Polar Bear Capital of the World.

Winter time in Churchill has our friendly polar bears living out on the ice in search of seals. Polar bears are known to consume hundreds of pounds of seals each week in order to bulk up with fat, which helps them through our warmer summer months. While there are no Polar Bear Tours in March, we have another friendly population of animals that are migrating through the Churchill area. Thousands of caribou, many of which will be calving in the month of June, are on the move through areas south and west of Churchill. They are the only members of the deer family where both sexes have antlers. Yes, it is true, all of Santa’s reindeer, which are also caribou, have antlers. The female antlers are normally quite small and spindly, while the male antlers are some of the largest in the deer family. Often at this time of year the males will drop one side of its antler, which must make for a very unbalanced existence for that short time.

A half day snowmobile ride and hike takes me to the edge of the ice where a leed has opened in the ice allowing me no further.

One such pressure ridge in 2006 was piled up so high that it later became a huge chunk of ice that became stuck in the mouth of the Churchill River for several weeks during summer break up. Because it was so thick it got caught in the mouth of the river and became grounded where the water was approximately 70 feet deep.

Polar Bear Tours in Churchill on the Hudson Bay would be just a little difficult at this time of the year, but it made a great back drop for pictures of our Beluga Whales near the end of June.

The Daudrich family with the Premier of Manitoba, Gary Doer.

Winter is a time of reflection for me here in Churchill as we look back at last year and plan for our 2008 beluga whale and polar bear tours. Our tour season starts in summer when the polar bears frolic along the Hudson Bay hunting seals and beluga whales until the great ice freeze in October and November.

We had a number of visitors from around the world this last year see the beautiful arctic wildlife of Churchill. While we consider all of our visitors special, the Lazy Bear Lodge has also entertained a number of notable dignitaries. This last year we had a visit from Canada’s present prime minister, the Honorable Stephen Harper. Prime Minister Harper came to Churchill to see the polar bears but also came to announce several million dollars of funding for a new arctic research initiative for Canada’s North to study marine mammals, including the polar bear, arctic whales such as the bowhead whale, narwhale and beluga whale, as well as seals and walruses. We also are proud of having Premier Gary Doer, our political leader right here in Manitoba, as part of the entourage who stayed at the Lazy Bear Lodge. Premier Gary Doer hosted the visit and he, along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, announced joint funding for infrastructure upgrades here in Manitoba’s arctic. A luncheon was hosted by Premier Doer and our local mayor, the Honorable Micheal Spence.

Other noteworthy visitors hosted by Lazy Bear included the Governor of the great state of Arizona, Janet Nepolitano, and the Premier of British Columbia, Gordon Campbell. All of these leaders showed a great interest in arctic wildlife and were surprisingly knowledgeable of the concerns of the north. I must also say that they were very personable.

It was our pleasure to host these people at the Lazy Bear Lodge.

We had a very enjoyable time with all of our valued clients in 2007. We taught and learned much from our guests. My wife Dawn and our family feel privileged to be in the position that we are in and look forward to an exciting 2008.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Daudrich family (left) and the Prime Minister with Churchill Mayor Michael Spence (right).

It seems like more people around the world are interested in the plight of Churchill polar bears. Two recent news articles have drawn good attention to the polar bears surrounding our lodge right here in Churchill, Manitoba.

The first article appeared in the Canadian Press on October 22, 2007. This article highlights the tourist attraction of polar bears and beluga whales to subarctic Churchill. The article describes some of the experiences tourists and Churchill locals have when they see polar bears. Plus the article has a nice mention of our Lazy Bear Lodge with a link to our website.

The second article appeared in USA Today on November 1, 2007. This article describes how polar bears are now the animals to watch as a result of the effects of global warming. Because the Hudson Bay is melting earlier and freezing later, this is having a negative effect on the adult weight of polar bears, as well as their fertility and mortality. This article also mentioned our Lazy Bear Lodge with a link to our website and provided a sample tour cost.

What is evident is that more and more people around the world are interested in coming to Churchill to see our magnificent polar bears. October and November are the two best months to visit them so make your plans for 2008 now.

Beluga’s up close!

While much of the northern hemisphere is still enjoying the last vestiges of summer, here in Churchill Manitoba on the edge of the Arctic things have now started to cool off. Still, a few Indian summers will likely come, bringing with it the last warm winds of 2007. I can cheerfully report the weather for the summer of 07 was one of the best in my recollection. While not the warmest that we have had, it was comfortable with on average 10 Kilometre winds. Temperatures hovered around the 20 Celsius mark (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit).

Whale watching was great with a number of glass water days allowing us a peak at these underwater beauties. We had one mild mid-summer rain storm near the end of July which kept us off the water for two days. Snorkelling was excellent this year with water clarity at peak for the last half of July with the exception of two days during our storm, as well as the first half of August. Kayaking was also excellent. In a report from Tom Layng, our kayaking and snorkelling guide, one client almost had a baby while kayaking. Well let me clarify that. She wasn’t expecting to have a baby, but when a baby Beluga almost jumped right into her lap, there was almost the same thrill that would come with having a baby. Not a normal thing for us. Mom was right beside baby when this happened, and did not seem concerned.

Happy Belugas

Bear sightings were plentiful on our Hudson Bay trips outside of the Churchill River. Beluga Whales were normal in number for our summer season. While numbers now have likely dwindled down to about 25% of what they were just two weeks ago, we likely were upwards of 3000 Beluga Whales in mid-summer.

Some of our Beluga Whale pictures from this summer give us a look at what these whales appear like underwater. The large bulbous forehead is full of a fatty muscle that acts more like a fluid. It can be shaped and vibrated to form different vocal sounds. This is the part of the whale’s head that is used for vocalization, but also as echo-location which is like having an organ that is half eye and half ear. When sounds reverberate off objects before them, the sounds that return to this sensitive organ give them a mental picture of what is before them. Whether it is a school of fish or the hull of our viewing boat, they make passes of our boat sometimes staying for an hour to try to determine what it is that is before them.

Our upcoming Polar Bear season starts just a few weeks from now. Conditions thus far for these super-sized teddy bears are very good as we move slowly towards our October/November Polar Bear season. Weather and conditions will be hard to predict this early out. But I can say that we are experiencing conditions very close to what we had last year at this time. Last year saw good conditions through most of our season, though we had one mid-October wind storm which lasted about three days. Remember now, good conditions for us mean cold temperatures, several inches of snow, and a good stiff North wind off the Hudson Bay.

Who is looking at who?

We have been building up our winter firewood supply for the last few days. We use already-dead, fire-killed seasoned wood from just 30 kilometres south of the lodge in the Boreal Forest. During our Polar Bear season the weather can get quite cold, so it is always nice to come home to a warm fire.

Here at the Lazy Bear Lodge, making your arctic expedition an experience of a lifetime is our business. As I have mentioned on a previous occasion please consider the following recommendations, as they will help expedite your trip and also make your time with us more enjoyable.

When traveling to Churchill by plane we recommend placing the following items in a valet bag:

- Medications
- Toiletries
- Camera
- Any important items you may need (on rare occasions luggage will come on a later flight)

Remember Churchill is Polar Bear country, so we recommend bringing warm and layered clothing like long underwear, snug but comfortable fitting outerwear, a fleece jacket or sweater. Outer clothing should consist of a windproof material, with an attached hood or a very warm hat. We do sell some clothing at the lodge, including hats and fleece jackets. A pair of ski or wind pants is also highly recommended and helps keep heat around your torso and lower body that a jacket alone will not do. I recommend a softer material that will not become hard and plastic in cold weather. When choosing wind pants or a jacket, if you blow through the material and your breath does not permeate it easily, then it is a good windproof material. Gloves should have ample insulation. They may look like ski gloves and should have an upper extension to cover your wrist as well as your hands. Warm boots with thick insulation is a must. This all being said, we are preparing you for our coldest temperatures, which may not always be the case. All our tour vehicles are heated, but when the windows come down you will want to be protected. Weather permitting we may go on short hikes in patrolled areas.

Cameras and batteries act differently in cold weather. Keeping your camera in an outer pocket or case keeps the camera safe from extreme cold but also does not keep it too warm where condensation can develop. We recommend two sets of spare batteries because when they get cold your camera will stop functioning. These are some of the more important things I can recall through many years of guiding. In today’s age of digital cameras it may even be advisable to bring along a backup camera in case one goes south during your trip. No pun intended.

I hope that this has been a good summer season for all who read this. And we look forward to seeing those who have signed up with us for a trip to the edge of the Arctic.

Showing our clients this unique and wild vestige of the world is a privilege beyond what I could have imagined when I moved to Churchill as a teenager some 27 years ago.

I know when Jens Munk visited the Churchill area back in 1619 that it was colder than it is today.

Bonapartes Gull on last vestige of sea ice.

During the beginning of Munk’s disastrous ordeal, he lost some 60 of his crew members near the end of September. He complained of being rudely awakened by the sound of banging against the hull of his ship. He woke up the next morning to discover that ice had formed around his ship overnight during a storm on the Churchill River. This made it difficult, if not impossible, for him to consider getting out of the Hudson Bay and returning to his homeland of Denmark.

Today Churchill’s river generally will start forming this kind of boat-inhibiting ice during the end of October, though I have seen it happen as early as the middle of October. If the times here are accurate, that would place the ice formation approximately 2 to 4 weeks behind what it used to be back in Jens Munk’s time - almost 400 years ago.

However, there are other factors that should be considered in this situation. First, in 1999, there was a weir built across the Churchill River that artificially holds back fresh water and ice from the lower portions of the Churchill River estuary. Second, back in the 1970’s, a diversion scheme took as much as 75% of the Churchill River’s water and funneled it into the Nelson River some 175 miles to the south of Churchill. This also increased salinity in the Churchill River estuary. With increased salinity the formation of ice each fall is slowed down.

Ecotourism is perhaps one of the best things that has happened here on the Hudson Bay in Northern Canada. Polar Bears can be safely viewed in the wild with no stressful affects on these beautiful creatures. I often see them in our back yard right behind the Lazy Bear Lodge in Churchill.

This guy really likes you - and Ecotourism.

I am simply in awe that such a huge creature can live in these bleak rugged environs. It is quite something to imagine a bear that lives on ice, that is intelligent enough to pull food through a hole in the ice, in temperatures as low as 60 below zero.

We get a chance to view these monsters for a short period of time each summer when they return off the ice near the middle to the end of July as well as when they stage to re-enter this world of ice and snow in October and November. We use a specially equipped tundra vehicle also known as a tundra bus that gets us close to Polar Bears along the Hudson Bay coastline.

While a trip to Churchill isn’t for everyone, for those foolish enough to visit this wild place, you will see how the world once was—rugged and adventurous.

Whether it’s a phone call from a radio station, or a newspaper, or clients asking this when making a reservation, I hear it time and time again. While I am interested in stating what I believe, it is still my opinion, but an opinion based on years of being around Polar Bears.

The question of global warming is often brought up as the possible demise of Polar Bears. I may disappoint some who have adopted this belief as it is reported in our news media. And I may disappoint others who say that there is no such thing as global warming. But my opinion is just that, an opinion. My perceptions have been that there has been a slight warming trend in my own lifetime. Also according to my own investigation, there has been a long term warming in our climate here in Northern Canada. But this warming historically started hundreds of years ago, and is not a recent phenomenon.

Churchill is still about 400 miles from the bottom of Hudson and James Bay. If Polar Bears were to be affected by less ice they would be first affected in these more southerly populations. If global warming really is happening and its influence grows more prevalent, then perhaps the Churchill population would start to see some affect, but only after the more southerly populations started to be affected. If the ice cover on the Hudson Bay (which is presently at about 8 months of the year) were to become less, it would not disappear overnight, but in a long process over several decades or centuries. It would slowly retreat first in duration and then secondly in area.

Ice forming on the Hudson Bay in mid November

If this were to have an affect on the Polar Bears of Hudson Bay it would first be felt in fertility rates. When a female Polar Bear has ample fat reserves, she is more likely to split eggs inside her uterus producing more offspring from the resultant additional cubs. If she is not doing well this is less likely to happen. When the competition for seals becomes greater, fertility rates go down and so does the population. If there is less ice on the Hudson Bay (which if you follow the scenario this could happen) then Polar Bears could have a harder time hunting seals.

Other variations of this story could also affect Polar Bears. They are not often heard of in the news media. First of all with less ice coverage on the Hudson Bay there may be a greater growth of Zoo Plankton. With more Zoo Plankton there would be a growth in the population of the small fish that eat them, eventually working their way up the ladder to the seals and ultimately the Polar Bears.

Symbiotic entertainment

Another factor that I have discovered is the use of Hydro reservoirs to hold back spring flood fresh water in larger reservoirs and lakes around the Hudson Bay during the spring months. This water is let go, presumably, relatively evenly throughout the year to furnish water to turn the generators that provide the abundant electricity for Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. This release of fresh water during the winter months when water is usually low and the holding back of the spring flood waters, which historically went into the Hudson Bay during the spring melt off, affects the salinity levels and production of Zoo Plankton on the surface of Hudson Bay. Typically Zoo Plankton flourishes in brackish water. If the salinity goes up on the surface during the summer when daylight hours are long and the ice is off the water, then this could have a negative effect on the food chain.

Personally I believe that the weather is warming up. But it is at such a slow rate right now as to be almost immeasurable. The thought of Polar Bears drowning as they loose their ice seems a little farfetched. Stories of drowning bears are quite dramatic. And they make for good news articles. Polar Bears are excellent swimmers and have been seen over 150 miles from the nearest shoreline or ice flow.

Louisville Kentucky’s zoo director is bringing a group here to Churchill to observe and research polar bears in advance of a new exhibit at the zoo opening in 2009. The local television (WHAS 11) station was good enough to mention me in an online version of the story. You can read the story here.