Beluga Whale Trip Report 2026
- WEEK 2 -

Churchill, Canada
July 28 - August 3, 2026

July 29, 2026. Day One

What a way to begin the week.

The weather could not have been more perfect. Warm temperatures, a glassy river, and not a cloud anywhere in the sky. Just a perfect day on the edge of the Arctic. 

Not long after heading out, we received word of a polar bear feeding on the shoreline.

As we approached, we could see it tearing into a carcass, photos showed that it was eating baby beluga whale. How it killed it, no one knows. 

It was tiny and my guess is, it was probably a still born calf. 

It was a continuation of yesterday's incredible bear activity. 

We had spent the morning at Button Bay with five polar bears feeding on a dead beluga that had washed ashore. The bears were very well-fed and super happy. 

At one point, two of them climbed into the water and began wrestling, giving us an unforgettable show.

It was one of those magical wildlife mornings that reminds you why Churchill is such a special place.

While we were photographing today’s bear, a pod of belugas began circling our boat with growing curiosity. That was all the invitation we needed. We said goodbye to the bear, dropped the mat into the water, and slipped in.

Visibility wasn't perfect, but it was good enough, and the whales didn't seem to care.

From the moment we entered the water, the belugas were playful, curious, and completely engaged with us. They repeatedly swam right in front of our cameras, making pass after pass. Every diver rotation was done as quickly as possible because we didn't want the whales to lose interest.

At one point, the excitement got the better of Peter, who accidentally fell off the mat, and rolled into the water. The sudden splash startled the belugas, and we all had a good laugh, joking that he was trying to join the pod.

It was just going off today!

As the afternoon went on, the visibility slowly deteriorated, but thankfully the whales stayed with us. Carol's dome port became a favorite object of fascination, with several belugas repeatedly swimming in to gently touch and "kiss" the glass.

The highlight of the day was a tiny beluga calf, only a few weeks old. It was very chubby and just so damn cute, one of those moments that almost doesn't seem real. Hopefully the photographs do it justice because it was one of the sweetest wildlife encounters I've ever witnessed, watching its chunky little body swimming on top of it’s momma.

The action never really stopped all morning. Everyone had incredible encounters, and we finished the day with smiles that simply wouldn't go away.

Days like today are a reminder of what a privilege it is to spend your life doing something you once only dreamed about.

The bar has been set incredibly high for this expedition. Whether the rest of the week can match today hardly matters.

Tomorrow is another day on the Churchill River, and I can't wait to see what story it has waiting for us.

July 30, 2026. Day Two.

It rained all night.

When I woke up this morning, I was not excited about getting to the river, because I was sure the river was going to be a mess. Heavy rain usually means poor visibility, and I figured we were in for one of those days where you just make the best of it.

We stepped outside to overcast skies, wind, and temperatures that had dropped overnight.

Just miserable.

But...

The river was incredible.

It looked like another massive pod of belugas had arrived overnight. Everywhere we looked there were whales. Thousands of them filled the river.

It was complete sensory overload.

Even better, the visibility was fantastic. Instead of the brown water we were expecting, we found beautiful green water with surprisingly good visibility.

Yesterday's whales seemed content to hover right in front of us for long stretches, giving us unforgettable close encounters. Today was different. The belugas were constantly moving. They still came close, but they never lingered for long.

But it was a steady parade of whales.

The whales were everywhere.

It was non-stop.

Every direction you looked, another white shape appeared out of the green water. It felt like the entire river had come alive.

During the day we received a report of a polar bear swimming nearby, but the whale action was so good that we decided to skip the bear and stay with our whales.

It was one of those rare decisions you never regret.

The only downside was the cold.

The water temperature had dropped dramatically overnight, and by the end of the morning my hands hurt so badly I could barely use them. I haven't needed gloves at all this season, but today was a different story.

Thankfully, Peter loaned me a pair, and they made all the difference.

Even though every one of us was cold, nobody wanted to get out of the water.

The diving was just too good.

At one point we had a mom with a tiny baby passing by us over and over. During one of her passes she looked right into my camera, opened her mouth wide, as if she was screaming at me. I fired my camera and captured one of my favorite images of the trip in that moment.

Eventually, the incoming low tide brought its familiar wall of muddy water. We watched the brown line slowly creep closer until it finally swept over us, ending another unforgettable session with the belugas.

And what a day it was.

July 31, 2026. Day Three.

We arrived at the river to a chilly morning, but the sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful blue.

It looked like it was going to be a great day.

There weren't nearly as many belugas in the river as yesterday. We have no idea where they went, but there were still hundreds of whales peppered throughout the area.

We dropped the floating mat into the water and immediately had curious belugas come over to investigate.

Our guests were treated to an incredible show.

Peter and I were waiting for our turn in the water when a call came over the radio.

"Bear on the rocks."

Yesterday we ignored a bear report because the beluga action was simply too good to leave.

Today we decided to go.

A massive polar bear was walking along the shoreline near the Prince of Wales Fort. It continued north toward the point, eventually reaching a narrow section of land where it had to squeeze between the shoreline and the rocky ridge.

For photographers, it was the perfect spot.

I wish I could tell you the water was flat calm, but it wasn't. 

The currents had the boat moving constantly, making photography much more difficult. We all increased our shutter speeds and hoped timing and persistence would win the day.

Fortunately, they did.

While photographing the bear, we were distracted by a Black Guillemot that was in the water. It’s an Arctic seabird that spends much of its life along rocky coastlines. Although they are seen around the Hudson Bay, they are not very common around Churchill. So it was a special treat to see this cool looking seabird.

The bear disappeared over the ridge onto the west side of the point, so we motored our Zodiac around the tip of the peninsula, because we all wanted to stay with him.

The light was really nice, and the bear was big.

It turned out to be a good decision.

The bear climbed onto a large boulder and posed beautifully while Arctic terns circled overhead, screaming and dive-bombing him in defense of their nests.

Eventually the bear tried to lie down for a nap, but the terns had other plans.

They repeatedly swooped in, pecking and harassing him every time he tried to settle down. Every time he relaxed, another tern would dive at him, forcing him to lift his head again.

It was a fascinating interaction to watch.

After spending time with the bear, we headed back to the river for a few more beluga sessions.

We found another group of friendly whales and ended the afternoon exactly the way we had hoped, in the water, surrounded by curious belugas.

We had some massive beluga whales come visit us. Huge adults, including what I believe was a very pregnant beluga whale. It was the chubbiest beluga whale I have ever seen.

Super cute.

It was the perfect way to finish our time on the river.

Later that evening we headed out onto the tundra in search of foxes and more polar bears.

The foxes remained elusive, but we did spot a mother bear with her two cubs far off in the distance. 

They were much too far away for any decent proof of life photographs, but seeing the family together, and spending time on the Tundra, was a wonderful way to end the day.

Overall, it was another amazing day in Churchill.

August 1, 2026. Day Four.

Today is another beautiful day.

Not a cloud in the sky, the river is flat calm, and everything just feels right. I don't know what the visibility is like yet, but I'm hoping it's good.

The belugas are feeding this morning, so they aren't quite as interested in interacting with us.

While Mat and Sara finished their time on the beluga board, we got a report of a mom and cub out at the point.

So off we went.

We found them sleeping on the rocks right beside the water.

We spent some time photographing them while they rested. Sleeping like this, they look so sweet and peaceful. They almost fool you into thinking you could walk right up and cuddle them.

But...

We all know full well these bears are lethal.

And that is part of what makes them so awesome.

Still, we can dream.

After leaving the bears, we headed back to the belugas to finish our afternoon.

The encounters weren't quite as good as the last few days, but they were still really good. Every day with these whales is different, and that's part of what makes this place so special.

Once we finished in the water, we headed out onto the tundra looking for foxes.

We didn't find any.

Instead, we came across an eagle standing on a rock.

I think this was the closest I've ever been to an eagle here in Churchill.

Of course, the moment it noticed us, it took off.

But I managed to get a couple of photographs that I really like.

Overall, it was another great day.

Beautiful weather, a peaceful mom and cub, time in the water with the belugas, and a close encounter with an eagle.

I'll take days like this every time.

August 2, 2026. Day Five.

Final day of Week Two.

This week absolutely flew by.

It's supposed to be a hot day today, but first we need the early morning cloud cover to burn off.

The whales are very, very, very scattered this morning.

Everyone is having trouble finding them. I'm not sure where they all went.

Our group is surprised.

After the incredible first few days we had this week, they're almost shocked that "skunk days" can actually happen here, especially with so many belugas in the Churchill River.

But they do.

Sometimes the whales just don't want to play.

It's not a bad day, though.

We've already seen well over a hundred whales, they're just spread out instead of being concentrated like they were earlier this week.

The water conditions were good enough for us to head out into the bay.

There were reports of a polar bear sleeping on the rocks beside the water.

Its face and paws were caked with dirt and mud, so it had obviously been digging around somewhere.

The bear was resting in the same area where we watched several bears feeding on a dead beluga earlier this week.

Maybe it was rooting around to see if there was anything left.

After spending some time with the bear, we headed back to swim with the belugas.

We had a few decent encounters.

My turn in the water was a little slow, but halfway through they called everyone out because they had spotted a polar bear swimming.

Our group was excited.

It was the one thing we hadn't seen yet this week.

Watching that bear swimming across the bay turned out to be the perfect way to end our final day in the water.

I couldn't have asked for a better week.

Great wildlife.

Great friends.

Great memories.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made this week so much fun.

Want to learn more about next season’s Beluga and Polar Bear Expedition… CLICK HERE.