Itinerary
Day 1 Winnipeg
Arrive in Winnipeg where you will enjoy a relaxing stay at a choice hotel, The Grand by Lakeview at the Winnipeg Airport. Your winter gear fitting and collection will take place prior to meeting the rest of your group at an orientation dinner hosted by a Churchill Wild representative.
Overnight in Winnipeg at the The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel
Day 2 Winnipeg Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Fly to Churchill, where you will be met by Churchill Wild staff, and then on to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Upon arrival, your hosts will provide a tour of the Lodge and get you settled into your room. A thorough orientation on travelling in polar bear country will be provided prior to any outings. Then it’s time to assemble your cameras, hard drives, and tripods and start shooting. Time permitting, you’ll head out for a shakedown hike. After the excitement of the day prepare for the first of many fine meals from the award-winning Blueberries & Polar Bears cookbooks.
Overnight at the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
Day 3 - 8 Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Enjoy a hearty breakfast while the lead guide briefs you on what the scouts are reporting and their plan of attack for the day. After breakfast, it’s time to head on safari! These daily safaris (usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon) are a chance for you to track the wolf packs and get you as close as possible to observe and photograph their behavior and social interactions. While it’s often possible to observe wolves right from the viewing decks at the lodge, wolves regularly travel to hunt and mark their territory; they can easily cover 40km a day. Keep in close radio contact with the scouts as they monitor activity at various points along the coast. With the small group size and high-guide ratio, all are able move quickly along a network of established safari trails. After morning safaris, you’ll head back to the lodge to enjoy a light lunch and some well-earned downtime. By early afternoon you'll head back into the field. Some days, depending on wildlife and weather, you may opt for an all-day safari and extend the range.
For those interested in becoming involved with Churchill Wild's citizen-science wolf study, the safaris are also a chance to conduct fieldwork. Depending on the weather and wildlife situation, you may have opportunities to collect trailcam images, cast animal tracks, study social relationships, map territories, conduct and record howl surveys, and gather traditional knowledge from First Nation oral histories. Participants' contributions will become part of the yearly study.
Evenings at Nanuk are a chance to unwind and enjoy a nightly happy hour with a short presentation on wolf biology and natural history, storytelling and wildlife photography, followed by a delicious dinner and socializing around the fire.
The Kaska Coast boasts over 300 nights a year of Auroral activity, making it one of the best places in the world to see the dazzling Northern Lights. March weather is cooler and can offer more crisp clear nights increasing the chance for Aurora viewing. If the sky is clear and the solar winds are active, Churchill Wild will be sure and wake you up for a dazzling show. Jad will be on hand to help you set up your cameras and capture the haunting beauty.
This is your expedition. While Churchill Wild wants to offer you as many experiences as possible, they will also encourage you to relax. Take an afternoon or morning off (or a couple) and have the lodge to yourself. They'll stoke the fire, pour you some coffee and leave you with some tasty brownies. Some of the best wildlife viewing happens right from the lodge. You never know who might wander up to the window and look in on you.
Overnight at the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
Day 9 Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge Winnipeg
After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to the Lodge and the wildlife whose home you’ve shared over the last 8 days as you return back to Winnipeg.
Overnight in Winnipeg at the The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel
Day 10 Winnipeg
After a restful sleep you will pack your bags in preparation for your flight home.
Accommodation
The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel
Winnipeg
Just steps away, we’re across the street and to the right of the airport terminal James A. Richardson International Airport – YWG.
Every room features a Keurig coffee machine with complimentary Starbucks coffee pods, a 46 inch LED Samsung Smart TV with 20 HD Channels, mini-fridge, complimentary Vivreau water in a designer glass bottle, and washrooms designed with a day at the spa in mind. The Blue Marble is the in-house restaurant and it is opened for lunch and dinner.
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Situated next to pristine Arctic waters on Hudson Bay with Canada’s Boreal Forest as its backyard sits Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, one of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. The diverse ecosystem surrounding Nanuk is home to Canadian icons such as polar bears, black bears, wolves, and moose.
From the safety of the fence surrounding the Lodge, view the northern lights or get up-closeand-personal with the polar bears and other wildlife that meander past, as curious about you as you are about them. The eight guestrooms with en-suite bathrooms are housed in two guest wings and connected to the main dining room/lounge area. Private, cozy sitting areas outside each room overlook the Bay and are perfect for downtime. After a long day trekking the tundra, kick back in our lounge and enjoy an informative presentation by our guides or simply relax and enjoy conversations with new friends.
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