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Summer is a magical time to explore the edges of the Canadian Arctic, finds Meera Dattani on a trip to Churchill, Manitoba


DESTINATIONS CHURCHILL | CANADA


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n the summer, something incredible happens in the sub-Arctic town of Churchill: about 60,000 beluga whales flock to Hudson Bay to feed, mate and birth in its warm waters. Kitted out in drysuits and full-face snorkels, three of us lie, top and tail, across a floating lilo, secured by a slow-moving Zodiac, our faces immersed in the icy water as we get our first taste of aqua-gliding. Below the water’s surface,


we’re transported to another world, one where ghostly, white beluga whales swim around us, some playful, some curious, coming up close to see what this new oddity is. Churchill, in the far north of


Canada’s Manitoba province, is better known for its polar bears – best seen in September and October, when the Arctic pack ice forms – and for seeing the northern lights. But summertime has its own appeal in this faraway town: beluga whales in abundance – about 3,000 in the Churchill river basin itself – Arctic


terns on every rock and potential polar bear sightings as they edge towards the bay, in anticipation of the soon-to-form ice. Back on the Zodiac, the belugas’ friendly nature is just as evident, or rather, audible. These seriously sociable ‘sea canaries’ are chatting away, clicking, whistling and clanging non-stop, while their five-inch-thick blubber keeps them warm. They swim around us, their smooth bodies emerging occasionally above the water, dipping down gently, often with a baby to one side. “Listen to them sing,” says our guide, Jason Ransom from Lazy Bear Expeditions. We sit quietly, mesmerised by their display. Later that week, we take kayaks on to the Hudson Bay. Almost level with the water, we’re practically beside the belugas as they swim up to the boat, the odd one playing with the rudder. But for those who prefer a little more distance, Zodiacs or excursions on larger vessels provide equally great sightings.


² travelweekly.co.uk 23 JANUARY 2020 63


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