It was another successful trip to Churchill, Canada in late October; probably the most successful of the trips I have had over the years.

This year, four women joined me for a Women in Wildlife Photography tour with our local Churchill guide. We stayed in a comfortable bed and breakfast in “downtown” Churchill. (I use the word downtown loosely here as Churchill only has 870 residents and the main area of Churchill only expands two blocks wide and nine blocks long.)

Polar_bear_CH_2024_14A polar bear (Ursus maritimus) sleeps on the snow-covered rocks against the blues of Hudson Bay in the background in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. On our first day out, it only took 24 minutes to find our first bear – an adult bear sleeping in the rocks along  Hudson Bay. He rolled over, looked at us and went back to sleep. 

By the end of the day, we had seen several bears, red fox and snow buntings. The latter was something I had been hoping to photograph, especially since we went at the earlier part of polar bear season when some birds have not yet migrated south. Over the years I have seen the buntings but never photographed them. Check on that goal.

Snow_bunting_CH_2024_1A snow bunting feeds in the fresh snow in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. At the end of the day, I asked my group what they thought. “Epic,” one lady responded. I knew we would see more bears and closer than we had that day. I told her to hold on, more was coming. 

And each day progressively got better.

Polar_bear_CH_2024_21A polar bear (Ursus maritimus) walks along the tundra near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. By the end of the trip, we saw at least six or seven polar bears each day, including a mother bear with her two cubs. We also had one day where we saw all three colors of red fox – cross fox, silver fox and red fox. That was a unique experience. 

Arctic_hare_CH_2024-1An arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) hides behind a rock to stay out of the wind while feeding on some willow branches near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. We also saw an arctic hare, tracked a wolverine that we think was only about an hour ahead of us (unsuccessfully unfortunately) and photographed a group of red-breasted mergansers. We had fresh snow the day we landed – the first snowfall of the season that stuck. And watched the early stages of the ice form on the bay. 

Northern_lights_CH_2024_6The brilliant green with a dash of red northern lights dance across the sky above the forest south of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. And the highlight of the trip – besides being in the presence of polar bears – was a northern lights show on the next to last night that had even outperformed any display I had previously seen. After two hours in the field, we had to head back to the house. 

Polar_bear_CH_2024_19A polar bear (Ursus maritimus) walks along the ice on the coast of Hudson Bay as it sticks its tongue out to catch the nearby scents in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Unexpectedly, we also had a bear walk behind the house on our last night. A patrol team watches for bears in town. A polar bear had walked into the east edge of town causing the team to fire cracker shells to scare the bear out of town. The shot was so loud it rattled the windows in the house, causing us to realize the bear was just beyond the backyard. We rushed to the window to watch the action and caught a view of the bearing walking by. (We must have looked like kids at Christmas looking in the store window displays.)

The next morning, we saw polar bear footprints in the snow down the block from the house. How cool!

Red_fox_CH_2024_3A red fox (Vulpes vulpes) pauses on the snowy white landscape in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Then it was sadly time to leave. But I will be back next year. I am taking a group in November for women only again with Women in Wildlife Photography to photograph bears and other wildlife in the snowy conditions (there are just two spots left on this trip). There may also be a second trip in September to photograph polar bears in fall colors plus beluga whales. This will be a co-ed trip; details to come.

Hope you can join me to see firsthand why I love being in the presence of polar bears.

For more information about the November trip, visit the Women in Wildlife Photography website. 

Details will be forthcoming about the second trip and availability.