manitoba, canada - rob moller

The long flight up from Winnipeg really gives an idea of the sheer expanse of this country. We flew over huge swathes of farming land, forest, taiga, then northwards to the tundra with hundreds of mirror-like lakes. The landscape opened up to the Hudson Bay and we made our descent into Churchill, the northernmost town in Canada and home to the endangered polar bear. After a night in Churchill, we were up early to have a quick look around this one-street town where the Polar Bear police were on patrol. According to our guide, one had strayed a bit too far into town and would have to be airlifted out of town.

Our seaplane journey took us north along the coastline. Every year a staggering number of up to 50,000 beluga whales swim into the bay and rear their young in the warm waters of the rivers that flow into the Hudson Bay. The very scale of this was emphasized as we looked down from the plane to the see the large pods of white belugas in the nutrient rich waters. As the floatplane came down we swooped over Seal River Lodge which was to be our home for the next six nights, and caught a glimpse of a polar bear strolling along the rocky coastline.

Our brief encounter of life on the Hudson was peppered with amazing experiences. On our guided walks and quad trips, we had some wonderful sightings of these huge mammals resting in the cool of the water, rolling in the long fresh grass, swimming in the water from one rocky outcrop to another or simply walking past our lodge while the sun was setting at the end of another day. I would wake eager every morning and sit out on the platform waiting for a bear to walk to past. Though not rewarded every day, being three feet away from such a mammal is incredible.

Our other mammal, the Beluga, was there for some entertainment as well. On occasion the tide was right for us to head out to the mouth of the Seal River. There in abundance the friendliest of whales were swimming in the water. One at a time with dry suit and snorkel we quietly entered the water and put our heads under. The Canaries of the sea were in full in chorus and, though tone deaf, it was my job to sing with them. The white outlines of these inquisitive mammals slowly became more and more defined as they came closer and swam underneath me.

At the lodge, we were looked after so well by Mike and Genie and their staff. Genie's family has owned lodges in this part of Canada for three generations. The food was amazing - fresh, flavoursome Canadian dishes were served up at every meal time from the family cookbook which has now sold 30,000 plus copies. Our guides Terry and Andy had worked together at some of the best Canadian lodges for a number of years and their enthusiasm had not waned. In the evening, everyone would gather to chat about their day. We had informative presentations on the plight of the Polar Bears, current life of the people in this area and life for the indigenous population up until the 1960s.

Back in the UK now, I still need to pinch myself. If you love your wildlife and wide open spaces and want to try something different, why not have a North American Safari?


To speak to Rob or one of our team at Harrods,
please call 0845 618 2206
Or click here to visit the Canada pages on our website