Polar bear families doing lunch at Seal River! Paul Scriver photo.
by Paul Scriver, Churchill Wild Polar Bear Guide
Our first Birds, Bears and Belugas safari of 2019 is a wrap, and it was a great way to start the season!
We had excellent weather for boating along the Hudson Bay coastline for our first trip of the year at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Calm winds and beautiful days allowed us to take advantage of the polar bear activity along the coast, in particular the area around the mouth of the Seal River. We had some amazing luck during a full day out on what we call the “low tide run.”
A polar bear had taken down a full-sized adult beluga whale and the feeding frenzy that ensued was incredible! As we slowly floated into a good viewing position, we kept spotting more and more bears. The final tally was 16 bears, including three mothers with cubs.
We sat and watched the feeding activity and listened to some vocalizations from the belugas as they swam in the waters nearby. The eagles did the same as we did, although they were there for a different reason, waiting for an opportunity to scavenge a bit of food. We already had an ample supply of our own delicious dishes back at the lodge 🙂
All in all, a fabulous experience, and hopefully the first of many!
