Ben and Nicole have a visitor at the gate! Seal River Heritage Lodge.
The plane circles once over Hudson Bay before touching down on the gravel airstrip, carrying Nicole Spinks and Ben Lawrence back to Seal River Heritage Lodge, 60 km north of Churchill, for their eighth season as lodge managers. It’s one week before the first guests arrive for the Birds, Bears & Belugas safari beginning July 6th, and the lodge sits silent against the Arctic coastline, closed up for the winter.
The Birds, Bears & Belugas safari represents something unique in the world of wildlife tourism: the opportunity to walk at ground level with polar bears during their summer season; when the ice has retreated and the great white bears wander the coastline waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze again.
Guests will also experience beluga whale encounters by Zodiac in the Seal River estuary, where thousands of these “canaries of the sea” gather each summer. Combined with exceptional birdwatching and the possibility of northern lights, it’s a Canadian Signature Experience that draws visitors from around the globe.
Seal River Heritage Lodge. Michael Poliza photo.
The Magic That Drives Them Back
For Nicole, one moment above all others captures why she returns to this remote wilderness year after year. “It was during a work crew, and a bear came right up to the fence, and I took a selfie with it,” she recalls of her very first polar bear encounter.
Though the photo wasn’t perfect, the moment was transformative. “It was so exciting. I mean, I knew we were coming up to see bears, but when you’re so focused on working, you don’t really think that they’re going to be right there at the lodge, even though that’s what people had said. So when it actually happened, it was amazing.”
Nicole Spinks with here first polar bear selfie. Seal River Heritage Lodge.
That excitement hasn’t diminished after eight seasons. “Getting to the lodge and making sure that no wildlife has broken in is first, and the next best thing is seeing the first bear,” said Nicole.
Last season, that magical first sighting came on June 30th, after they’d been at the lodge for about a week. This year, the first bear appeared on June 26, and it was Tripod, also known as Hercules, a three-legged polar bear who has somehow miraculously managed to survive in the Arctic — and she had a cub with her!
Anticipation of more bears continues to build as they prepare the lodge for guests and watch the landscape for signs of their arrival. Nicole, a former competitive gymnast turned lodge manager, brings her organized, enthusiastic approach to the complex logistics of Arctic hospitality. Ben, with his military background and no-nonsense work ethic, manages the technical challenges that come with operating in polar bear country.
This season brings a new dimension to their Arctic adventure. They’ve recently welcomed baby Phoenix to their family, and Shayna Plett will be taking on some of Nicole’s previous responsibilities to help balance the demands of lodge management with new parenthood in one of the world’s most remote locations.
Together, they’ve perfected the complex process of opening a wilderness lodge, and everything must work flawlessly when a charter flight is required to reach your nearest neighbor.
The Systematic Awakening
“When Ben and I first get there, we’re opening things up and turning the power on and making sure that nothing has broken into the lodge,” said Nicole. “We make sure the power turns on and that the batteries in the solar power system hold a charge.”
The checklist that once guided them through every step has long since been internalized. “The first two years we had a checklist. Now it’s kind of just in your brain and once you go, you just turn everything on systematically,” said Nicole. “Once the power turns on, you walk through, make sure no breakers have flipped, then you do the water and you walk through all the rooms. You just do everything systematically.”
The bear boards come down first, those medieval-looking wooden panels studded with deterrent nails that have protected the lodge through the winter. “We take off a few bear boards when we first get there, just the two of us, but I’m not the tallest person, so I can’t really do many of them,” said Nicole. “But then once the rest of the staff get in, that’s when the real work happens.”
Ben Lawrence working on the water pipes behind the scenes at Seal River Heritage Lodge.
Water presents the season’s first major challenge. “We need to start pumping water into the lodge so the staff can start cleaning,” said Nicole. “No one can do anything until there’s water. So usually when Ben and I arrive, we turn the water system on and try to pump from the lake. Sometimes everything is still frozen even in June. If that’s the case, we have to use the tractor to haul water and fill up the water tanks in the lodge.”
Once water flows, the real inspection begins. “You have to walk through every single room, staff rooms included, and make sure that there are no leaks and that everything turns on properly. The same thing with the toilets. Make sure nothing is broken and nothing is leaking.”
Division of Labour
Guest bedroom at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Scott Zielke photo.
Nicole and Ben have developed a partnership that maximizes efficiency in their remote environment. “We know how to get things done and we just divide and conquer,” said Nicole. “I get the inside team, the chefs and hospitality staff focused on what they’re doing, and Ben focuses on the outside.”
When staff arrive five to seven days before guests, the real transformation begins. The hospitality team tackles the lodge interior: “They have to scrub the lodge from top to bottom,” said Nicole. “So they normally start in the bedrooms and they just wipe everything top to bottom, often more than once.
“All the bathrooms need to be cleaned and all of the rooms need to be made up. So all the beds will be made, we’ll bring in all of the décor. And then they do the same thing in the lounge and the dining room. Basically top to bottom, wipe everything down, wash the windows inside and out. They typically get washed twice, sometimes even three times before the guests get there.”
Meanwhile, Ben coordinates the outdoor preparation. “The maintenance staff and the guides, they take off all of the bear boards,” said Nicole. “They get stacked up and put away. And then the guides will put the boats back together.
“They then walk their trails and do trail maintenance. They also ride the six-wheelers down towards the Seal River, and they stop along the way to do road maintenance, just making sure that the track is still drivable and comfortable for the guests.”
The preparations extend well beyond the lodge itself. “We have a picnic tables set up at the Seal River, so they need to go back down there,” said Nicole.
Even the building’s ability to breathe requires attention: “You have to go up on the roof. We have covers that go on top of the escape vents that let out any extra moisture. Those get covered in the winter, so no critters go in. Those have to be uncovered so the lodge can breathe again.”
The Moment of Truth
The look says everything. Guests observing polar bears at ground level with Churchill Wild. Build Films photo.
Nicole’s favorite moments over the course of the season come from watching guests experience wonder. “I love tears,” said Nicole. “If you can see someone crying, if they’re overcome with emotion, and an encounter brings them to tears, you know that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them. They’re never going to forget it.”
For Nicole, the remote location itself holds deep appeal. “I love the absolute remoteness of the lodge and the feeling that you’re the only one who has ever stood in that place. The landscape is breathtaking and it’s constantly changing. Watching the tide change what the coastline looks like is incredible.”
Polar bear in fireweed at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Birgit Verboom photo.
The privilege of daily bear encounters never grows old. “The first time I saw a polar bear I couldn’t believe that this was my life; that I would get to enjoy this privilege on a daily basis,” said Nicole. “Watching the bears in their natural habitat is indescribable and really reminds me that we are insignificant beings in comparison.”
This systematic preparation, refined over eight seasons, ensures that when guests arrive, everything appears effortless. Behind the scenes, Nicole and Ben know that their meticulous attention to every detail creates the foundation for life-changing wilderness encounters. When the guests and polar bears show up…
They’ll be ready.
Birds, Bears & Belugas at Seal River Heritage Lodge
