Polar bear walking in front of Seal River Heritage Lodge.
Seal River Heritage Lodge
by George Williams
Seal River Heritage Lodge has been recognized with a 2020 Travellers’ Choice award from Tripadvisor.com for the fourth year in a row!
Based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, prior to any changes caused by the pandemic, award winners are known for consistently receiving great traveller feedback, placing them in the top 10% of hospitality businesses around the globe. Seal River Heritage Lodge earned 13 5-Star reviews in 2019 and has now received 167 5-Star reviews in total on TripAdvisor.com.
“Seal River Heritage Lodge was our first polar bear lodge and it has a very special place in our hearts,” said Churchill Wild co-owner and founder Mike Reimer. “Every year we try to make more improvements and the guests have rewarded us with excellent reviews. This award is always special to us because it is based on actual guest feedback.”
Polar bears sparring at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Jad Davenport photo.
“We always try to do our best for guests, and we genuinely appreciate their company and their kind words,” said Reimer. “Many of our early guests at Seal River have now gone on to visit our other two polar bear lodges, and they’re the major reason we’ve been able to grow Churchill Wild to where it is today. Not only have our guests become loyal evangelists for the Churchill Wild brand, but many have become lifelong friends. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Located 60 km north of Churchill (Visit Seal River Heritage Lodge on Google Maps), Seal River Heritage Lodge was purchased as an abandoned whale research station by Mike and Jeanne Reimer in 1993.
Major upgrades over the years combined with exceptional customer experiences, very cooperative polar bears, beluga whales and northern lights, have led to increased guest numbers every season and have made Seal River Heritage Lodge one of the world’s premier resort properties for safely viewing polar bears in the wild at ground level.
Seal River Heritage Lodge was the first of Churchill Wild’s polar bear lodges to become a member of National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World in 2015, followed by Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge in 2016. One of only three permanent physical ecolodges on the Hudson Bay coast, the other two being Churchill Wild’s Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge and Dymond Lake Ecolodge, Seal River Heritage Lodge is Churchill Wild’s northernmost property.
Perched directly on the rocky Hudson Bay coast just north of the Seal River estuary, Seal River Heritage Lodge is in a prime location for observing polar bears as they wander the coast during the summer and fall waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze, and an ideal place for viewing the thousands of beluga whales that gather in the area during the summer months.
Seal River Heritage Lodge has hosted numerous professional and amateur photographers, writers and film crews over the years, including Jad Davenport, Ian Johnson, Robert Postma, Charles Glatzer, Andy Skillen, Ruth Elwell-Steck, Anjali Singh, Bertie Gregory, Dr. Virginia Huang, Cristoph and Fabienne Jansen, The Planet D, CNN, National Geographic, BBC and more.
Seal River Heritage Lodge currently hosts six wildlife walking safaris from July through November including Birds, Bears & Belugas, the Arctic Safari, Summer Dual Lodge Safari, Fall Dual Lodge Safari, and the Polar Bear Photo Safari, with more polar bear and wildlife walking safaris currently in development.
Now booking Polar Bear Tours and Polar Bear Walking Safaris for 2021-2022.
Seal River Heritage Lodge Photo Gallery
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- Peek-a-boo.
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- Nate Luebbe photo. Seal River Heritage Lodge.
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- Contentment.
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- Summer at Seal River Heritage Lodge.
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- What are you looking at?
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- Friendly belugas.
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- What did he say?
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- Windy day at Seal River.
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- Lounge. Seal River Heritage Lodge.
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- A good place to gather.
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- A great place to eat!
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- Space to wander.
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- You’ll sleep good here!
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- And here too!
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- Ensuite!
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- Return from beluga land.
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- Team meeting.
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- The look.
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- Three is not a crowd!
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- A walk in the mist. Terry Elliott photo.
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- Pounce!
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- Lights over the bay,
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- Alert, but relaxed.
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- A cool drink on a hot day.
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- Swimming buddies.
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- On the rocks.
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- Nursing and nurturing.
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- Feathered friend.
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- Ice on the bay. Seal River.
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- Take that!
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- Go ahead. Take my picture.
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- Sleepy bear at Seal River.
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- I am not a polar bear.
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- Polar bear on the edge of the bay.
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- Nap time at Seal River.
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- Perfect pose.
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- Polar bear. Setting sun.
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- Big match. Sold out.
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- A walk at sunset.
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- The pot of gold is here!
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- I see you.
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- A true polar bear walking safari.
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- A view from the lodge.
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- Ground-level polar bear photography.
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- A view from the lodge window.
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- Curious polar bear.
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- There’s a polar bear in my iPad!
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- Thinking… Seal River.
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- Snowy day at Seal River.
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- Ptarmigan.
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- Seal River Heritage Lodge.
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- Sunset at Seal River.
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- White on white.
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- Ice fog polar bear.
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- Squabble time.
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- Red sunset at Seal River.
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- Arctic hare rolling.
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- A view from the air.
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- Sunset rocks!
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- Polar bear lunch meeting.
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- Water sparring!
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- How many polar bears?
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- Loner.
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- At the fence. Seal River.
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- Everyone needs a friend.
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- Coming for a visit.
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- Red fox in soft snow.
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- A growl to remember.
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- Cross fox at Seal.
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- Visiting hour at Seal River.
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- Northern lights over full moon.
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- Lone wolf at ground level. Seal River.
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- Polar bear in blue light. Seal River.
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- Something here smells good!
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- Sold out match at Seal River.
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- Two against the storm.
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- A hug for Mom.
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- Cute siblings in the grass.
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- What is that over there?
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- Photo op!
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- Pouncing Arctic fox.
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- Summer guest Katlin Miller.
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- On the lookout.
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- Arctic tern and gull conversing.
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- Ptarmigan at Seal River.
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- Sandhill crane at Seal River.
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- Arctic fox!
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- Snowy owl at Seal River.
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- Bears outside. Humans inside.
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- Run rabbit run!
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- White, grey and black.
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- Visit with a polar bear.
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- Polar bear in the rocks.
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- What’s over there?
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- Northern lights from the viewing tower.
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- Tender moment at Seal River.
To see traveller reviews for Seal River Heritage Lodge please visit Tripadvisor.com
About Tripadvisor
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