Behind the Scenes at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

by Christoph and Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net

It doesn’t get any colder along the coast of Hudson Bay than February and March. At Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, it’s the time of the year when polar bear moms and their cubs start making their way towards the coast, when wolves have their mating season, when moose are munching peacefully on willows, foxes are diving head-first into the deep snow for lemmings, and snowy owls are on the hunt for them, too.

But despite this abundance of wildlife, you have to put in time and effort to make these memorable encounters happen.

Here’s a behind the scenes peek on what these adventures are like.

Getting up early and watching the sun rise is one of our favourite times of the day. The golden sunlight is stunning on the outside decks of the lodge, or settled into the cozy lounge in front of the crackling fireplace.

What a peaceful way to start the day!

During the hearty breakfast, one of the guides will usually announce the plan for the day. While during the summer and fall seasons, most days will be spent with a 3-4 hour morning excursion, lunch at the lodge, and a 3-4 hour afternoon excursion, February and March are ideal for all-day trips. There’s plenty of daylight, with many sunny days.

While the temperatures can be as low as -40°C (-40°F), most days will be in the -30°C to -15°C range (-22°F to 5°F). This is cold, but with appropriate gear and a roaring campfire over lunch, it’s surprisingly comfortable. A hot stew, a hearty soup, traditional bannock bread, and hot chocolate, tea or coffee let you warm up quickly. And should someone be really cold, there’s always a pop-up shelter tent with a propane heater that can be deployed within minutes.

But why would someone even think about spending the entire day out in the field in these conditions? Because you have to be there to increase your chances of spotting animals. While scouts usually roam the backcountry for animal tracks, more eyes see more. Every guide and every guest is part of this effort to locate wildlife along the coast and up the rivers.

The main means of transportation are sleds pulled behind snowmobiles. These sleds are based on traditional Inuit sleds called komatiks — high-tech variants with suspended skis and pivoting seats that assure a ride as comfortable as can be on the bumpy trails. Each komatik seats two guests with plenty of stowage for camera gear and personal belongings.

These sleds allow us to drive as far as 40 km east or west along the coast of Hudson Bay, and up the frozen rivers, sometimes as far as 30 km inland. The likelihood of seeing wildlife is increased considerably by this range.

Or, as photographer and Churchill Wild’s director of wolf programs Jad Davenport puts it: f/8 and be there. Being out in the field is the single most important aspect of wildlife photography, or photography in general. We have had some of our most amazing wildlife encounters when we least expected them.

The coast of Hudson Bay around Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is a truly unique area — so remote that wildlife is still genuinely wild. Eight to twelve guests and roughly twelve staff members are the only living souls in an area the size of California. And the sunsets are just as epic as the snow-covered landscape.

But the day is not over after sunset. After appetizers and an always delicious family-style dinner, there’s usually a presentation by one of the guides covering local wildlife, history, or other interesting facts.

The cold makes most of us tired. It’s not uncommon to see the lounge already deserted by 9 p.m. But if the northern lights make an appearance, which they often do, everyone will get up and dressed again.

While our favourite northern lights are the “just after dinner lights,” we also get up during the night if there is a knock on our door. The guides will be checking several times per night and wake everyone up if there’s a great show in the sky. Which, of course, you can opt out of if you need sleep more than northern lights.

The February/March season of 2026 was our coldest season to date. While our previous five seasons had colder individual days, this season was consistently cold. Most days were around -30°C (-22°F) and the prevailing north wind, the Keewatin, was often blowing from the bay.

Despite the cold, we enjoyed every minute of our adventure, observing wildlife, exploring the coastline and the frozen rivers and appreciating the company of our fellow guests.

But the most amazing experience is when you lay down in the soft snow, close your eyes, and be completely still for a minute. Total silence.

Welcome to the coast of Hudson Bay!

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About Christoph and Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net

Christoph and Fabienne Jansen have been on over 40 departures with Churchill Wild. The Swiss couple especially loves returning to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge every year for safaris that include Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast, Nanuk Emergence Quest and the Polar Bear Photo Safari. “It just felt like coming home… like a magical place…”

See more of Christoph and Fabienne’s photos at ArcticWild.net
Follow Christoph and Fabienne on Instagram @arcticwildphotography
Watch Jad Davenport‘s interview with Christoph and Fabienne

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