Beluga Whale Trip Report - 2

Churchill, Canada
August 1 - 7, 2025

 August 2, 2025. Day One.

The day started off rough, cold, rainy, and gray. 

We set out early for a tundra drive to look for wildlife, but honestly, our hopes weren’t high.

After about 40 minutes on the road, we spotted a lone bear in a small pond. It wasn’t expecting us, and sadly we scared the hell out of it. 

As soon as it saw us, it bolted. We could see that vehicles made the bear nervous.

It had plenty of space and the bear calmed down and started walking along the edge of the pond.

We stayed with it for a few minutes as it moved through the landscape, giving us a brief but beautiful encounter.

Eventually, we had to head back to prep for our afternoon with the belugas.

1:00 PM. We left the port under cloudy skies and cold winds, and at first, I thought the day might be a bust.

But I am so happy I was wrong.

The water clarity was surprisingly good, and the belugas were on fire. 

Playful, curious, and interactive right from the start. 

We got in the water quickly, and it was game on.

I can’t even begin to explain how magical today was.

Huge pods of belugas surrounded us, hovering, circling, watching us with that curious sparkle only belugas have. 

The connection we had with them today was on another level.

It was one of those days where you feel it deep in your chest, like the universe handed you something rare and sacred.

I'm so grateful for the experience we shared today. For the people, the whales, the magic, all of it.

This place is sacred. It should be protected, respected, and celebrated for generations to come.

Just… wow.
What a day. What a gift.

August 3, 2025. Day Two

We woke up to a beautiful blue sky and sunshine, a dramatic shift from the dark, rainy skies of the day before. 

Spirits were high and the weather had clearly turned in our favor… at least for now.

We went out for a quick look on the tundra and found a young bear, definitely not the same one we saw yesterday. This bear was not afraid of the sound of a vehicle. 

A short but nice moment to start the day.

Later, we headed into the river and decided to explore the mouth, where the Churchill River meets Hudson Bay, always a good area for surprises.

And just as we left, Angelia casually sent a request out to the universe:
"I want to see a soggy sandwich."

The universe answered.

We got a radio call that there was a bear swimming toward the point, at the mouth of the river. We quickly were able to catch up with it just as it climbed out of the water, soaking wet. 

I snapped a few shots of her right as she emerged, water dripping from her fur. 

I hope they come out sharp. We grabbed a few more frames before moving into the bay to look for whales, and hopefully, clearer water.

Unfortunately, the wind direction had stirred everything up, and although there were lots of belugas in the area, the visibility was terrible.

We had a few belugas come in to check us out early on, but they lost interest quickly. 

Even though there were plenty of whales around, none of them wanted to get close, and with poor visibility, even the close ones looked soft in the water.

We eventually returned to the river, hoping for better luck.

Sadly, it didn’t improve. 

The water was still murky, and while the animals were clearly curious, they weren’t fans of the bad visibility either. 

Even when they did approach, the water was so thick with silt that everything looked fuzzy and dull.

Not every day delivers magic, but they’re all part of the story.

And tomorrow, we try again.

August 4, 2025. Day Three

This morning we headed out on the tundra and found a quiet moment with a mother bear and her cub, resting on the rocks. 

We were pretty far away watching her, she was completely relaxed, laying on the rocks in a deep sleep. Every so often, she would lift her head to scan the landscape for danger. The cub was small, born earlier this year.

She slept for a while and then stood up, sniffed around a little, ate some moss growing on rocks and then disappeared behind the rocks. 

Maybe she smelled something that made her uncomfortable.

That cub is vulnerable out here. Especially now, with increased bear activity around Bird Cove. 

There was a report of a whale carcass washed up in an area accessible by tundra buggies, where nine bears were seen feeding.

Good for the bears. Bad for the whale.

On the Water… What a day.

It started off slow. Really slow. We went into the bay and found the whales feeding, thousands of them, it was an incredible sight. 

But they were focused, busy feeding, and had no interest in us.

We decided to change locations and head back into the river. 

Unfortunately, the visibility was crappy and the whales weren’t interacting. The few that did come close were barely visible in the murky water.

So we made the call to return to the bay.

And that’s when it all changed.

Back at the feeding pod, we found them again, but this time they were done feeding. 

The whales had shifted into play mode: rolling, socializing, curious. It was absolutely wild.

They surrounded us.

So many whales. So much energy. They just kept coming, playful, inquisitive, full of life.

It was magic in every direction.

I was so happy. For our guests. For myself.

Days like this don’t come often, but when they do, they’re unforgettable.

At the end of the day, our boat broke down. We were stuck, waiting for a tow back to port.

While we drifted, a dragonfly crash landed onto our boat. Exhausted. I picked him up and put him on my finger. 

I held him gently, we decided to name him Norman.

He was weak. Struggling. I figured I’d place him on a branch when we got back to land and let him pass peacefully.

But as we neared port, something shifted.

Norman started cleaning his eyes. His legs twitched. His body came back to life.

And then, as I stepped off the boat, he flew away.

Just like that.

Good luck, Norman.

August 5, 2025. Day 5

Windy, windy day.

We started with a morning drive and once again found the mom and cub. 

They were on the move along the beach, so we followed at a respectful distance. Eventually they stopped to rest, the cub clearly tired.

It was low tide, with tide pools scattered across the sand. 

Mom chose one and lay down in the cool water, her cub curling up right on top of her. 

It was such a beautiful scene, a quiet, tender moment I won’t soon forget.

At our scheduled time, we headed to the marina. But with the wind howling and conditions rough, we decided to call it. 

There was just no way we were going out in that mess today.

Instead, we returned to the tundra. 

Before long, we spotted another bear, this one sleeping on the beach. It stood briefly to reposition itself, then settled back down, unfazed by our presence.

There are a lot of bears around right now, and even though this isn’t a bear-focused trip, it’s been a gift to see so much wildlife.

A good day on the tundra. Quiet, but rich in moments.

August 6, 2025. Final day! 

Due to the tide we are starting late today. Today is very overcast thanks to those nearby forest fires raging all over Canada. The sky and the air is filled with smoke.  

We are heading out for a very long session with the belugas and hopefully some amazing moments and magic. Let’s Gooo!!!

5;30pm. The visibility is really good. There is a bit of a haze in the water but that has to do with the mixing of salt and fresh water.

The whales are decently curious and we have had a lot of good passes.

But there are a lot of jellyfish out there. 

LOTS!!!

But it’s been one hell of a nice evening so far. 

The weather has been not so kind today. The water was flat and the wind was nice but there is a cold chill in the air and it’s been very overcast all day. 

We stayed out for almost five hours today. It was nice to have all that extra time to trying to get some images of the animals. 

While we were out the momma bear and her cub were found crossing the river to get to the point. 

The baby was on her back getting a piggy back ride. 

She was followed closely by beluga whales obviously fascinated with her and the baby on her back. We followed the bear snapping images from a safe distance. 

We did not want to stress out the bear but we also wanted to make sure the bear didn’t turn back towards main land and head back into town. 

Seeing the bear today gave closure to the story she started with us three days ago when we saw her sleeping at Birds cove. She traveled a long way to get to the point. 

As thunder rumbled and rain clouds rolled in, the last bit of sun vanished. The sky grew darker, and we knew it was time to call it. We said our goodbyes to the beautiful belugas of Churchill and the amazing polar bears that share these shores.

Until next season!