ANTARCTICA

Each summer when the pack ice breaks up,
up to 50,000 beluga whales move into the
aquamarine waters of Hudson Bay to feed,
socialize and breed.

This is the best place in the world to snorkel with the friendly white whales and explore Canada’s rugged tundra that is home to polar bears, arctic foxes and many migrating bird species.

The location for this adventure is Churchill in the sub-arctic of Canada. It is a town, not even connected to rest of the world by road and known as polar bear capital of the North American continent. Even getting there is an adventure, as you can choose to fly or to take the train and enjoy a two days epic trek north through Canada’s vast northern wilderness.

Price per person

from 3,300 Euro

Highlights

A large number of beluga whales
Snorkelling with the “canaries of the seas”
Polar Bears spending the summer in Hudson Bay
Arctic foxes and seabirds
A city in the Arctic, not accessible via roads
Sprawling tundra, Arctic nature
Northern lights (Aurora borealis) if sun activity and clear sky
Two-day train ride through the wilds of Canada

Tour dates

Tour dates on request

Services

Tour price INCLUDES the following services:

4 morning tours on a zodiac chasing belugas with a local boat driver.
Afternoon tundra tours looking for polar bears and other arctic animals.
Armed guard during all tundra tours.
One full day tour with Tundra Buggy, lunch included.
Night excursions to view the Northern Lights.
6 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast in Churchill.

Tour price EXCLUDES the following services:

Wet/drysuits and snorkelling gear (wetsuits can be rented).
Getting there (flights and/or train).
Lunch and dinner.
Travel Insurance
Visa application, if required
Personal expenses and gratuities

Arrival

Depending on where coming from you first fly to Toronto and from there to Winnipeg/Manitoba. From Winnipeg Calm Air flies on most days to Churchill. Space on flights is limited. Please book early! For those who have the time the two-day train ride through the epic northern wilderness of Canada can be recommended.

https://www.calmair.com

http://www.viarail.ca

Please keep in mind that the itinerary for this tour only shows days in Churchill, not including getting there! You might need to add up to 3 or even 4 days each way when planning your tour. If you need help feel free to contact us.

Tour schedule

Day 1: Arrive, Check into the lodge and explore the small but lively town of Churchill. Once everyone has arrived, we will take a quick run out to Cape Merry to watch the belugas heading in and out of the Churchill River.

Day 2-5: Mornings: After a hearty breakfast at the lodge, we will gear up in drysuits or wetsuits (available for rent) and venture into Hudson Bay aboard purpose built zodiacs. When we locate the whales (which usually does not take long) we will slip into the water with masks, snorkels and fins and swim with the pod at close quarters.

Afternoons: After warming up back at the hotel and grabbing a bite to eat, we’ll jump in our six seater van and head out for a drive through the tundra to spot wildlife such as polar bears, foxes and other arctic species.

After Dark: On nights with high Solar activity, we will head out of town to a picturesque area with no light polution to enjoy and photograph the amazing Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).

Day 6: On our last day of the trip, while our snorkelling gear dries out, we will join a full day tundra tour on the world famous Tundra Buggy; a high sided vehicle that ventures right into polar bear territory and affords amazing views over the vast expanses of arctic tundra.

Day 7: Fly out or take the overnight train back to Winnipeg.

Weather

Tips

The national languages are English and French. Everybody speaks English.
Currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). Prices are bit higher in remote areas.
Credit cards (Master, Visa, American Express) are generally accepted.
Currency conversion rates vary on a daily basis. Roughly, 1 € = 1,5 CAD, 1 £ = 1,7 CAD and 1 US = 1,2 CAD.
The time zone is GMT -6 (CET -7).
Vaccinations are not required.
Visa requirements vary by nationality. No visa is required for visitors from US. For EU citizens usually an eTA (electronic travel authorization) is required.
Electric appliances use standard American voltage (120 V) and plugs (types A and B).
We strongly recommend complete insurance coverage (travel cancellation insurance, international health insurance, possibly also baggage insurance and camera equipment insurance).

Are you interested in an expedition with us?

Inquire now

COVID-19 travel information

The worldwide COVID-19 situation is changing constantly, some countries are opening up for tourism again while others may remain closed for months. Of course, this makes a booking a bit different. In case your trip has been effected, we will inform you. The impact of COVID-19 is a concern to everyone in the travel industry, including us and our local partners. We are working hard to avoid negative effects for your journey as good as possible.

The Covid-19 protection measures are different per destination. Approximately 30 days prior to departure at the latest, we will have a good idea whether a trip will be cancelled or not. Then we will contact you from the moment we have more information.

What happens if my trip with Northern Explorers gets cancelled?

In case we need to cancel your trip due to COVID-19 measures, you can rebook your trip to the next year. Your deposit will be transferred to the trip, and we will send you a new invoice reflecting your new dates. We will inform you about the options to cancel or change your booking.

What happens if the journey can’t take place due to corona measures?

If the trip can’t take place due to corona measures, there are two options:

1. The travel date will be postponed to a date in 2022.
2. The trip will be cancelled by us and you will receive a voucher to use for booking a new trip.

If you cancel the trip yourself, our normal cancellation policy applies. Please note that additional products (e.g. flights, hotels and other excursions) are excluded from above conditions.

How does Northern Explorers handle preventive and hygiene measures during the trip?

The safety and well-being of our guests and crew continues to be our top priority. We are in regular exchange with our partners regarding regular updates about the specific measures that will be taken to ensure your health and safety.

Do you have a risk-free booking policy?

All existing and new bookings for our 2021 season, will be free to rebook to 2022 season at no costs in case Northern Explorers need to cancel the trips due to the corona virus measures.

What procedures have you put in place for snorkelling activities?

To ensure your health and safety during our snorkelling activities, we recommend to bring your own snorkelling set for use during the trip. All guests keep the same rental equipment (e.g. dry suit) during their entire stay.

Do I need travel insurance?

We always strongly recommend complete insurance coverage (travel cancellation insurance, diving accident insurance, international health insurance, possibly also baggage insurance and camera equipment insurance) also in case of a COVID-19 infection (medical expenses, evacuation, and other expenses).

Important information - diving

This tour includes no scuba diving, but snorkeling / freediving. You can choose to bring either a dry suit or a 7mm wet suit. All snorkeling equipment, including mask, snorkel, fins, hood and boots should be brought. Wet suits can also be rented on site.

For photographing the belugas we recommend cameras with wide-angle and no flash. Action cams also usually give good pictures. The visibility varies, however, as we are here in a river mouth. The water temperature usually is around 10 to 12°C (50 to 54°F) in the summer.

Picture galleries

Antarctica

ANTARCTICA

Highlights

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