Drama on the Tundra

I recently guided my first of five groups around the Churchill and Tundra area. They were a flavorful collection of Travel writers from all over the globe, who brought with them fabulously warm and sunny weather which of course encouraged the bugs to arrive, right on cue.

The group fired questions from all directions, their curious and interested minds was a great way to kick off my guiding season. Less than an hour after arriving by plane from Winnipeg, I had them on the water enjoying ever-so curious and fearless Beluga whales. Each and every guest signed up to snorkel with the Belugas the following day, wanting to experience an even more intermit encounter with these White Whales.  An afternoon on the Tundra offered unique sightings, particularly of the ‘birding’ kind. We observed a family of Sandhill Cranes, an immature Bald Eagle which literally blocked out the sun as it flew by with all its abundant body and bulkiness. We also watched a wild scene when a Herring Gull scooped up a Canada Goose chick, whisking it away for its very own dinner.

Later that day our eagle eyes Buggy driver Dave spotted a Polar Bear in the distance. By the time we all had our binoculars poised in the direction of the bear we realized there were two others. We noticed that their heads were all hanging low towards the ground and although we were at a fair distance from them, it seemed obvious to us that they were indeed feeding on a carcass of some sort, right along the edge of the Hudson Bay.

I have some sad news to tell. Unfortunately, only a day before my group arrived an old bear was shot only a five minute walk away from the Tundra Inn, along the nearby shores of the Hudson Bay.

A fellow who was taking photographs down at the beach, just behind the Town Complex and still within the town limits encountered a bear at the beach.  Unfortunately the bear was an adult who happened to be in very poor condition. His bones were protruding showing signs that he hadn’t eaten all winter, the season when the bears are feeding on seal. I assume that the bears teeth had probably deteriorated and worn away which is often the case and so the bear was unable to hunt therefore was simply starving to death. Due to the health and dire-needs of the bear, he or she was a little more aggressive than usual. After having charged the fellow at the beach and caused slight damage to the conservation officer truck who tried to scare the bear out of town using the non-lethal deterrents, the officer was forced to shoot the bear dead. If the bear was not shot it would have turned into a huge safety problem for the town and its people and seeing how the bear was in a condition which it would not survive the summer fasting period, the bear seemed better off dead than alive. Still, it is a sad and unfortunate situation when a polar bear is killed, no matter the reason. The people of Churchill have lived cohesively with Polar bears for many years and so it is a gloomy occasion when one has to be destroyed by man.

Finishing on a good note, Dean got to see his first bear of the season and it was a healthy teenager. I had already left the house for work and Dean was in his usual state of deep sleep around 9.30 in the morning. He was dreaming about stones being thrown on our metal roof and when he awoke he realized it was not stones but the sound of cracker shells going off nearby. He got up and opened the blinds to look out the window. He observed a polar bear trotting across the tundra only 65 meters away from our bedroom window. This is the usual scenario…a bear ventures too close to town, the conservation officers who are on constant watch for Polar Bear intruders are alerted, and within minutes the bear is usually scared away by cracker shots, sending the bear back into the Tundra.

A polar bear is nothing compared to the numerous, aggressive, pestering, blood-sucking, relentless mosquitoes that gather in swarms creating dark, giant clouds that drift through the air and surround you, attempting to enter every hole that exists on your head and face. Thank heavens for Deet. Who cares that this substance melts your sunglass straps or creates acid-like burn holes in your tent. It keeps the mossies away and that’s all that counts. I will never be annoyed by wind again. I love you wind, please blow constantly and keep the mosquitoes away.

At this very moment I happen to be situated at

69°05’ North and 81°25’ West. Yes, I am north of the Arctic Circle, situated on Baffin Island in the territory of Nunavut. It is fabulous to be in the ‘True North’.  More about this soon.

Thanks for reading! All the best!