Churchill Wild Polar Bear Tours

06/18/2024

You really get spoiled here...

06/18/2024

Prairie Wild’s season opens today! 🥕🥬🍅
https://www.prairiewildmb.com/

A reminder that your first pick-up dates and times are as follows:
Grunthal, Tues. June 18 - 3-5 p.m. - Credit Union parking lot
Kleefeld, Wed. June 19 - 3-6 p.m. - 25120 Rd 35 N. Prairie Wild farm
Steinbach, Thurs. June 20 - 3-6:30 p.m. - Clearspring Mall parking lot - Steinbach District Farmer's Market

Please bring reusable bags or boxes to take your tender, delightful veg home in!

The 'prairie' makes sense, but why the 'wild'?

Our story begins in the Canadian subarctic, 60 kilometres north of Churchill, MB. Thirty-one years ago, Mike and Jeanne Reimer purchased a tiny shack on the coast of the Hudson Bay that would grow to be the world's foremost polar bear tourism and Arctic safari lodge. It was the beginning of a company known as Churchill Wild.

Over time, they recognized the need for produce that hadn't travelled thousands of kilometres, was picked ripe - not green, and would arrive in good condition.

Enter Karli and Riley Friesen. Karli, Mike and Jeanne's daughter, married Riley Friesen from Kleefeld. Having spent years as chefs at the Churchill Wild lodges, they developed a vision to supply quality, local fruits and vegetables to the lodges and knew that, together, they could make it a reality.

Plans were made, hours of research conducted, ideas were scrapped, and some were brought to fruition. In 2019, Mike and Riley shook hands across the first apple tree planted on 12 acres of historical Kleefeld farmland. You know us as local gardeners on the prairies, but our origins are far from here.

Here at home, we are proud to provide our community with wholesome fruit and vegetables. At Mike and Jeanne's lodges, we are proud to showcase Manitoba's best to their international clients.

Churchill Wild, the world's foremost polar bear ecotourism lodges.

Prairie Wild, distinctly southern acres with uniquely northern roots.

06/16/2024

Happy Father's Day!

A selection of fathers and future fathers from guests at Seal River Heritage Lodge, Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge and Dymond Lake Ecolodge. Intelligence, power and grace.

06/15/2024

Today, we celebrate the beauty and diversity of our natural world through the lens of our cameras. Nature Photography Day 2024 is not just about taking pictures; it's about connecting with the environment and sharing its wonders with others.

This year's theme focuses on the profound connection between humanity and nature, urging us to embrace the transformative power of harmonizing with the elements around us. It's a call to action to appreciate, protect, and preserve the wild spaces that still exist.

Enjoy a collage of photos from our wonderful guests.

06/10/2024

Most people think you can only see Churchill polar bears in the traditional polar bear viewing months of October and November, but you can actually see these great white bears along the Hudson Bay coast from July through to November. We know their secrets.
https://churchillwild.com/churchill-polar-bears-in-the-summer-2024-2025/

06/06/2024

Seal River Heritage Lodge version of Mike Lindell's MyPillow. Special offer available only on Churchill Wild's luxury summer polar bear walking safaris 😁

Summer polar bear season begins with Birds, Bears & Belugas on July 6! Limited availability. See open spots here: https://churchillwild.com/adventures/birds-bears-belugas/

Ethan Pronovost photo.

06/05/2024

This World Environment Day, let's unite under the theme "Our land. Our future. We are " to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our planet. As we face challenges like land degradation, desertification, and drought, it's crucial that we act now to restore and conserve our precious ecosystems.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is committed to providing solutions to land degradation, desertification and drought.

06/03/2024

Some summer time fun last year at Seal River Heritage Lodge. What a great group of guests and of course our guides!

Summer.. we're ready for ya! 😎

06/01/2024

June is National Indigenous History Month, and we'd like to celebrate and recognize Swampy Cree First Nations guide Albert "Butch" Saunders, who has been instrumental in helping Churchill Wild develop Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge into a world-class wilderness destination for polar bears, black bears, wolves, moose and more.
https://churchillwild.com/swampy-cree-guide-butch-albert-saunders-a-snapshot-frozen-in-time/

Thank you Albert!

Photo of Albert Saunders by Jad Davenport
Wildlife photos by Albert Saunders

Manitoba

05/31/2024

My, what big teeth you have Mr. Bear 👀! What an incredible photo by Andy Skillen at Seal River Heritage Lodge.
https://churchillwild.com/our-lodges/seal-river-heritage-lodge/

05/30/2024

Wolves have gained a lot of interest at our Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge; we operate two Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast safaris in February/March and Nov/Dec. However, this isn't the only time to see wolves. You can also experience great wolf encounters throughout the summer and into fall.

When the wolf pups are too young to hunt, the pack will keep them safe at a rendezvous site. This site, often in proximity to our lodge, becomes a hub of activity, offering our guests a window into the intimate world of wolves.

Our Arctic Discovery (https://churchillwild.com/adventures/arctic-discovery/) and Hudson Bay Odyssey (https://churchillwild.com/adventures/hudson-bay-odyssey/) safaris are great options if you're interested in polar bears and wolves... and the weather isn't as cold!

These photos were taken in the summer by Ken Burgener.

05/29/2024

Sleepy mom and cub at our Seal River Heritage Lodge during the summer! 😍 Our season starts in just over a month, we can’t wait to see how the polar bears are doing.

https://churchillwild.com/our-lodges/seal-river-heritage-lodge/

Photo credit to Jianguo Xie

05/27/2024

Conversations with a polar bear… 🐻‍❄️

"Hey listen... Uhm.. I like to have a lot of..."

Video by Maggie Cole at Seal River Heritage Lodge.
https://churchillwild.com/our-lodges/seal-river-heritage-lodge/

05/22/2024

A Tribute Letter to Andy MacPherson

We recently received a Tribute Letter from Polar Bears International notifying us that Churchill Wild guests Doug and Kim Goldsmith had made a donation in memory of the late Andy MacPherson.

"We were lucky enough to have Andy as our guide at Seal River in 2016," wrote Doug and Kim. "Our trip to this magnificent lodge was one of our best vacations ever. We were so saddened to hear of Andy’s death. He was a wonderful human. We were lucky to have known him."

Thank you so much Doug and Kim ❤️

For those of you who didn't know Andrew "Andy” Charles MacPherson, he was widely acknowledged as the world’s top polar bear guide, and a major force behind the evolution of polar bear safaris and walking tours at Churchill Wild over the course of 15 years. Andy passed away suddenly and peacefully at the age of 51 in his home in Ucluelet, B.C. on January 30, 2022.

“He was sitting in a chair wrapped in a blanket with his feet in front of our little electric fireplace,” said Andy’s partner Jody Steeves, her voice heavy with emotion. “I thought he was just reading the news. I walked down the stairs and said, ‘Look at the beautiful sunrise, have you seen the hummingbird yet?’ And he was just …”

Gone.

Regarded by his peers as the most knowledgeable and experienced polar bear guide in the world, Andy was heavily involved in the development of Churchill Wild’s industry-leading safety program for walking with polar bears.

Andy was among the first people ever to witness polar bears hunting beluga whales during the summer, and was one of the lucky few to observe true romance among polar bears, but his wilderness experiences were not just limited to the great white bears.

Andy’s guiding adventures included viewing grizzlies, black bears, whales and wolves on Canada’s West coast, stalking muskox in the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, paddling with manatees and looking for jaguars in Belize, leading photo-ops for penguins in the Antarctic, exploring for narwhals in the high Arctic, dancing with caribou and howling with wolves on the tundra, and finally, walking with polar bears on the Hudson Bay coast — where he trained numerous guides to do the same — and fell in love.

We miss you every day, Andy. 💕

Photos by Pat Maloney, Jad Davenport, Robert Postma Photography, Paula Curtin, Chase Teron, Gaynor Dunkley, Joanne Weeks, Rimma Aronov, Shel Zolkewich and Jayne Shepherd.

Read full blog post, "Remembering Andy MacPherson (1970-2022)" here: https://churchillwild.com/remembering-andy-macpherson-1970-2022/

05/22/2024

Oh, hey Scarbrow! A snapshot from a time that feels both like yesterday and a lifetime ago. These photos may have been captured almost 10 years ago, but the memories they hold are timeless.

05/21/2024

The force is strong in the fall at Nanuk. Our Hudson Bay Odyssey Safari https://churchillwild.com/adventures/hudson-bay-odyssey/ runs from August to September, which we believe is the perfect time of year to visit us. Here's why:

- The weather is cool but comfortable, so you don't need winter gear.
- As autumn approaches, the bugs start to leave, so you can enjoy the outdoors without annoyance.
- The leaves begin to change in September, creating a beautiful contrast for photos.
- The northern lights start to appear in the night sky, adding a touch of magic to your experience.

But that's not all. You'll also get a chance to see a variety of wildlife around our lodge, where polar bears wander by, wolf pups become more active, black bears feast on berries, and moose graze in the willows.

Whether you're a wildlife lover, a nature enthusiast, or a photographer, you'll find something to enjoy on our Hudson Bay Odyssey Safari. It's a beautiful time of the year to travel, and a great way to experience the sub-Arctic wilderness.

Photos by Tomas Koeck
https://www.tomaskoeck.com/

05/20/2024

Contrary to popular belief, polar bears in our region do not spend the entire year in snowy and icy environments. In fact, it’s perfectly natural for them to roam the land when the tundra is green and lush.

Polar bears venture onto the ice in late November or early December for seal hunting and mating. By early July (just in time for our Birds, Bears & Belugas safari! https://churchillwild.com/adventures/birds-bears-belugas/), they return ashore to enter a state of ‘walking hibernation’, living off their fat reserves, foraging for berries, and hunting beluga whales until the Hudson Bay re-freezes.

This cycle includes experiencing the typical summer and autumn seasons, with daily temperatures fluctuating between a high of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) and a low of 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

Video by Maggie Cole. Note: Polar bears are on the outside of the fence. Humans are on the inside 🙂

05/18/2024

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Ian Stirling, a legend in polar bear research and a long-time scientific advisor to Polar Bears International, who passed away on May 16.

05/14/2024

Churchill Wild's Director of Business Development Jackie Storry (right) and Sales Manager Sue Brown are at Rendez-vous Canada in Edmonton! https://rendezvouscanada.ca/ If you want to learn more about walking with polar bears at the Churchill Wild ecolodges, make sure to track them down.

Bonus: They're super friendly 😊

Travel Alberta Canada Keep Exploring

05/13/2024

A great photo by Dennis Fast - large polar bear on the move during the summer at Seal River Heritage Lodge!

05/12/2024

Happy Mother’s Day from our Churchill Wild polar bears! We’ve had so many wonderful Moms at the Churchill Wild ecolodges over the years and we’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to all Moms for all that you do! You are very much loved and appreciated!

Full moms and cubs gallery here: https://churchillwild.com/happy-mothers-day-a-mothers-and-cubs-photo-album-2024/

05/10/2024

“We leave the rhinos behind and start walking in silence toward the bear. The afternoon light is gorgeous and even though some dark menacing clouds are moving this way, I feel like nothing can spoil this moment. In fact, the dark clouds add a little bit of textured drama to the scene.

The polar bear is lying on a patch of grass and as we approach I can see that his legs are stretched out all the way in front of his torso, his head resting in between them. Just like my cats do at home.

This is just an incredible experience and something I'll always remember. Being in this wild place, under nature's own terms, is just incredible. In the distance we can make out another white blob, slowly approaching on the beach. With all this excitement we already forgot that we are standing on a polar bear highway.” - Cristina Garcia from Travel For Wildlife

Read full blog here: https://www.travel4wildlife.com/when-polar-bears-sleep/

05/10/2024

Women Who Have Walked with Polar Bears
https://churchillwild.com/women-who-have-walked-with-polar-bears/

Over 8,000 guests have walked with polar bears at Churchill Wild’s remote ecolodges on the Hudson Bay coast, and more than half of them have been women.

From amateur and professional photographers to bucket listers, retirees, professional travelers, mothers and daughters, wildlife aficionados, nature lovers, bloggers, writers, filmmakers, solo travelers, wives and husbands, from all corners of the world. Women’s travel groups have booked full lodges more than once, with more full-lodge female bookings on the immediate horizon.

We’ve also just created the Churchill Wild's Women Travel Group, a private Facebook group where like-minded women who have been to our lodges can share their stories and photos, and where those who are thinking about visiting can ask questions of those who have already been to the lodges.

There is no way to include all the fabulous females who have been to the Churchill Wild lodges in one post, but this is a start. We’re over 80 percent sold out for 2024, Birds, Bears & Belugas kicks off the season at Seal River Heritage Lodge on July 6, and Churchill Wild is rolling at full steam again.

There are over 4,000 good reasons for that…

And you are all greatly appreciated!

05/09/2024

Enjoy this polar bear series by Robert Postma at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge! 🐻‍❄️

05/06/2024

Summer is coming…

Photo by Matthias Breiter. Matthias filmed with us years ago and released a feature called “Polar Bear Summer”!

05/01/2024

“You really get spoiled at Nanuk, there are not 200 photographers around. The experience is so isolated and intimate, when it’s just you and nobody else, on a pristine, beautiful landscape with wildlife that’s right with you… There’s no experience like that I could ever imagine.”

Tammy Kokjohn couldn't believe it when she was told she'd won a trip for two on the Hudson Bay Odyssey at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge in Churchill Wild's 30th Anniversary contest last year. Then she lived it. With polar bears, wolves and a rare interaction between the two.

"Of course, we didn't know if the wolves were going to interact with the polar bear. And they literally came so close to each other. Then they just skirted around us and the polar bear got up and watched them walk by, and it was just like, 'Wow'. I was in awe. I didn't know which way to look. Should I look at the wolves or the polar bear?”

Read the full story here: https://churchillwild.com/polar-bears-wolves-dream-comes-true-for-tammy-kokjohn-on-hudson-bay-odyssey/

All photos by Tammy Kokjohn on the Hudson Bay Odyssey Safari: https://churchillwild.com/adventures/hudson-bay-odyssey/

04/30/2024

What a majestic looking polar bear 🐻‍❄️! This was captured at Seal River Heritage Lodge during the summer.

Photo by Dennis Fast

04/29/2024

Check out this video! This was captured last July 7th on the Birds, Bears & Belugas safari at Seal River Heritage Lodge; first departure of the season, and our first walking excursion.

We had three polar bears hanging around the lodge, so it wasn’t a far walk to go see them, and WOW… that moment you realize you’re standing on the same ground as a polar bear is nothing short of breathtaking. I’ll never forget that feeling.

I wasn’t scared, the guides ran us through some training in the compound before we went on our first walk, they explained the safety protocols and what deterrents they use, and the three guide system has been perfected to a tee over the past 30 years.

In the video you can see a polar bear hanging out on a rock, staff watching from our viewing tower, and a curious polar bear who came to check us out. This was during low tide, you could walk out pretty far. Eventually the water would rush back in later in the day.

Walking with polar bears is truly incredible! 😍

~ Maggie

04/25/2024

Calling all women travellers‼️

We want to introduce our new private Churchill Wild's Women Travel Group!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/churchillwildswomentravelgroup

Whether you're flying solo on a Churchill Wild safari, joining us with a group of friends, or interested in a future trip, this is your exclusive space to connect, share stories, and forge friendships with fellow female explorers from around the globe.

Here, you'll have the opportunity to introduce yourself, swap travel tips, ask questions, and spark your adventure alongside a supportive community of women who share your passion for discovery.

https://ChurchillWild.com
Ground-level polar bear tours and safaris. Cozy luxury Arctic ecolodges.