Visitors from all over the world—China, Morocco, Mexico, Europe, and of course, Canadians and Americans, had front row seats to one of the most extraordinary concerts. A choir made up of dozens and dozens of gentle giants.
The Belugas are one of nature’s greatest gifts and perhaps one of Northern Canada’s best kept secrets. Frequently known as “sea canaries” because of the unique and varied sounds they make—Beluga’s squeak, chirp, squeal, make clicking sounds, whistle, clang and mew in an aquatic symphony that played out for over an hour during our recent visit. Their sounds were picked up by a hydrophone lowered beneath the surface of the water, just under our boat. We could hear them chatter above the water as well.
Churchill, Manitoba, normally known as the polar bear capital of the world, is where an estimated one-third of the world’s Belugas spend their summer months in Western Hudson Bay. Around 3,000 of them migrate yearly to the estuary of the Churchill River where they provide visitors like us with an unforgettable experience. Infact, according to locals, they’re proving to be almost as big an attraction in the summer months, as the polar bears are in winter.
Environmentalists understanding the delicate balance between tourism and conservation are advocating for the creation of a National Marine Conservation area in Western Hudson Bay to protect this healthy, abundant ecosystem for future generations and I can’t say as I blame them. Oceans North say this would reinforce the importance of preserving this upstream and coastal habitat as a gathering place and nursery.
The trips to visit them are much the same in cost: about $7,500 per person for five days, including a two-hour charter flight from Calgary or Winnipeg. Connecting flights from other parts Canada require using scheduled flights to either departure city. The trips are completely accessible—I know as I have a severe hip problem and also had a recent heart attack!
Frontiers North Adventures are pioneering much of the traffic to see the belugas, as well as polar bears in the fall. The beluga whale tour operators, particularly Sea North Tours, are professional and accredited and strictly follow regulations that are in place to keep the Belugas safe, including the use propeller guards to protect the curious marine wildlife. Their boat is custom built for safe Beluga watching.
The Belugas predominantly inhabit the cold waters of the Arctic and subarctic but are found in the Churchill River estuary during their summer migration where they seek warmer temperatures to give birth and feed. They can grow to 15 feet long and weigh well over 1,000 pounds. Very adaptable these whales preferring diverse habitats ranging from offshore waters surrounded by ice in winter, to shallow coastal waters in summer. One of their main adaptations to their environment is the lack of a dorsal fin which enables the whales to swim just below sea ice to locate breathing holes and less surface area, minimizing heat loss in frigid waters. But perhaps, for the visitor, the fact that the seven vertebrae in the belugas neck are not fused, giving them the ability to turn their heads and seemingly nod, provides extraordinary delight to those of us viewing them.
Primarily though, these distinctively intelligent and intriguing mammals capture the hearts of many for their inquisitive manner and playful nature.
On this outing, the 200 or so visitors from all over the world were not disappointed, in a unparalleled opportunity, were serenaded by the belugas, here in “our True North”.
On board with us, Andrea Rodriguez, from Mexico, said the Belugas are such characters and have expressive faces that are very loveable. “I have been out on the water with orcas, and you can’t get anywhere near as close. This is a much neater experience”. At the same time, a group of school children from Park City, Utah, were in awe. “It was a wondrous sight to watch and hear. What an educational experience. An experience of a lifetime for them” said their chaperon/teacher Jamie Madole.
In addition to boats and zodiacs, visitors can paddle board and kayak with the whales. One kayaker, Josh Gale, said a beluga actually came alongside and pushed his kayak for several minutes. “An awesome, but slightly scary experience,” he claims.
Clive Jackson was managing editor of GlobalBC and is now retired and living in Priddis. He has travelled extensively and has his own travel website.
If you go…
The Belugas are creating a must-see spectacle for visitors in their natural habitat from mid-July to mid-August. In addition, Frontiers North includes a six-hour expedition onto the tundra in one of their speciality-built Tundra Buggies to view the stunning wildflowers and local wildlife at this time of year. There are also opportunities, if the conditions are favourable, to see the Northern Lights.
