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Posts Tagged ‘polar bear lodge’

New polar bear viewing adventure at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge a chance to get close to polar bear mothers and cubs

Polar Bear Mother and Cub Photo

Polar Bears in the Grass - Mom and Me

Churchill Wild has a new polar bear wilderness lodge adventure!

Our long time friends Stewart and Barb Webber have spent the last 12 years operating Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge located near Cape Tatnam on Hudson Bay and have decided to let the folks at Churchill Wild carry on their great tradition of wilderness hospitality.

Nanuk is fast becoming known as one of the greatest wilderness polar bear lodges on the planet with an incredible summer polar bear migration right past it’s front door! A high percentage of polar bear mothers and cubs in a very unique coastal setting provide polar bear viewing opportunities second to none for avid photographers and bear lovers alike, all at ground level! Combine that with plenty of wolf and moose action, fantastic birdlife in stunning Hudson Bay vistas and you’ve got all the makings of another spectacular Churchill Wild experience.

And did we mention the spring and fall bird migrations?

The Canadian Wildlife Service count this past spring estimated 7-10 million waterfowl on the ground within an 80 km stretch of coastline at Nanuk – standing room only! For those of you who have joined us at Seal River Lodge in the past, rest assured that Nanuk is “wildly unique” in its setting and wildlife experiences, something along the lines of the great African safari camps. Though not as luxuriously equipped (yet) as our other destinations it boasts the same fabulous food, service and staff.

Nanuk’s rich history will play an integral part in your experience, as its past is “checkered” with over 300 years of the fur trade era, considered by some to be the very birthplace of Canada. Every season brings new discoveries of century old relics of sea battles gone wrong – upon arrival note the ancient cannons parked outside our door.

Polar Bears standing in grass.

Polar bears snagging fly balls? Got it!

And bringing it all together will be your First Nations Cree guides and eco-hosts, who maintain an intimate connection with the wild lands you’ll see. They and their forefathers were making a living from this beautiful land long before we arrived and their knowledge base is sure to add to the richness of your adventure.

For a limited time only we are making a special offering of a 10% discount on direct bookings deposited for Nanuk by March 31, 2010. August through early September is the best time to take in one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth – the largest gathering of polar bears – anywhere.

Book early before the best spots are gone. Please visit www.nanukpolarbearlodge.com for more information, call us at (204) 377-5090 or email us at info@churchillwild.com.

See you on the coast!



Remote Polar Bear Eco Lodges offer rare glimpse into polar bear life

When the polar bears are forced on to the mainland of Canada by the melting sea ice, they can be viewed at surprisingly close quarters, on foot, on the coast of Hudson Bay, while based at remote polar bear eco lodges. As Jolyon Attwooll discovered during a recent visit to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, this can be a mesmerizing experience.

Polar Bear Mom with Cubs

“And then, a veritable bear bonanza was under way. Where most of us could just see endless tidal flats, Butch saw polar bears – and lots of them. Inching nearer on the all-terrain vehicles, we cut the engines – and, impatient to get closer, I volunteered to follow Butch on foot, along with a Californian student photojournalist. After that exhilarating first encounter less than a football pitch away, we thought perhaps that the best was over. It wasn’t.”

“On the far side of a rough meadow, a sow nosed out into a clearing, with two young polar bear cubs in tow. Tentatively, she edged forward, sniffing the air, anxious to steer clear of several nearby boars. Making her way around the edge, she turned towards us, head raised. Perhaps it was a superfluous rustle – a gooseberry thorn or bug too far – but something spooked her. Breaking into a run, she veered toward the tree cover, her offspring gamboling behind. In one unforgettable movement, she reared onto her hind legs, her white body framed by a spruce behind as she surveyed the area for threats. Then she dropped back onto all-fours and moved swiftly away through a shield of trees, her infants still on her tail.”

The above excerpt is from the story Polar Bears in Canada: Trailing the world’s largest carnivore, which appeared in the Safari and Wildlife Holidays section of the Daily Telegraph in the UK.

Polar Bear Cub hugs Mom

Churchill Wild, owner of Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, has been the premier ecotourism outfitter in northern Manitoba for over 40 years. Our one-of-a-kind on-the-ground polar bear tours at remote polar bear eco lodges cannot be experienced anywhere else on the planet.

If you’re truly looking for an adventure holiday with polar bears, we offer the chance to fly in and get up close and personal with the world’s largest carnivore in their natural environment, while at the same time enjoying nature at its finest, fabulous company, cuisine from our award-winning cookbooks, and the comfort our remote polar bear ecolodge on the Hudson Bay Coast.

Up to 400 polar bears pass by the remote Nanuck Polar Bear Lodge in an average season, but what makes this gathering of polar bears bears so unique is the high concentration of mother bears and cubs. These are not habituated “Park bears” or hunted bears that run at the sight of humans.

These are pure, wild polar bears living the way they have lived since time began.

For more information on Churchill Wild’s remote polar bear lodges and polar bear ecotours please visit Churchill Wild or Nanuk Polar Bear Lodges, e-mail us at info@churchillwild.com or call Toll Free: 1 (866) 846-9453.

Polar bear lodge on Hudson Bay updated for 2009!

Seal River Lodge on Hudson Bay Coast

Polar Bear Lodge on Hudson Bay - Kike Calvo Photo

What can we say but -WOW!! What an amazing season we had in 2008 thanks to all you wonderful people who made the effort to travel to our little Arctic paradise to take part in one of our polar bear wilderness adventures.

We might have to turn down the “volume” a bit as the sheer numbers of incredible “gigabyting” bear and whale sightings got to be a little overwhelming at times! (Websters: gigabyting: the sound made by multiple high speed shutter exposures blending together, usually involving six or more digital cameras. Occasionally applies to singular user if finger has become fixed in full auto mode due to visual over-stimulation.)

There is always a lot of work behind the scenes that goes on prior to the delivery of any great wildlife experience and this past year was no exception. We hope you enjoyed the new bedrooms with en suites as it took more than just a little effort to complete that renovation in time for the opening date in July. The project actually began taking shape with much planning, measuring and sketching going on in July of ‘07 while we were running that year’s Birds, Bears & Belugas program. This was followed by ordering and purchasing materials in fall of 07, shipping them to Churchill via train in January of this year, and finally hauling the 80,000 lbs of building materials to the lodges.

The hauling from Churchill to the lodge took place in April over the sea ice using a D6 Caterpillar and large sleigh which is quite an adventure in itself and soon to be a photo feature on our new web site. We then returned on June 15th with a construction crew of 6 very able bodied men and women who “slaved” many long exhausting hours to be ready for opening day. Stuart put the last coat of paint on at 4 a.m.  six hours before the first guests arrived. Kudos to Len, Real,Yvan, Stuart,Andy,Terry, Riley, Karli and of course the “human forklift” – Barney!

The new rooms still need a few finishing touches and Jeanne has her sites set on a new kitchen and dining room which means we’re starting the whole building project planning over again for 2010!

Spring hauling was a great success, a lot was accomplished, no one got hurt or lost in a “whiteout” (blizzard) and best of all no equipment failures! Four of our Inuit friends from north of the border brought their trusty Bombardiers down from Arvait on the sea ice and managed to haul in 20,000 lbs. in one trip. Talk about a traveling road show, what a riot that was, though Dave and I had a little trouble with the raw beluga, walrus, and caribou offered for lunch and were grateful for the moose meatloaf  Dave had packed for us.

Our Fire & Ice adventure in April, though a bit on the short side, was a huge success.All guests raved about Dave’s awesome cookery, the dogsledding, snowshoeing to the sea ice, northern lights, snowmobiling, and of course the finishing blizzard on the way back to Churchill wasa hit as well!