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I already am life at sea Spent over a month on the Ocean Endeavor Canadian Adventure Park When I first heard whispers of a very special place. Deep in the heart of Canada’s Nunavut territory lies one of the Arctic’s finest wildlife habitats: Coningham Sound in the Northwest Passage. Never heard of it? Don’t worry, there aren’t many of them.
Coningham Bay may look like any other bay in the vast arctic tundra. Wide and wild, what makes it special is its narrow and shallow entrance. Inside, the bay itself is shallow. Belugas like to enter the bay, wallowing in the shallows and scraping their skin. But because the water is shallow at low tide, the belugas are trapped in the bay until the tide comes again.
Bring on the hungry polar bears!
When I first heard the news, I almost didn’t believe it. Are there any places where polar bears prey on beluga whales? I’m very skeptical. it sounds like some planet earth Documentaries, rare and uncommon, not something people usually see.
Polar bears mainly hunt seals on ice floes. Although I have seen polar bears many times in the wild, I have never seen them whaling or even hunting. I was suspicious and thought, “Could they have taken down the beluga?” Maybe it was a wounded cow or a calf, or maybe it was eaten after it was already dead and washed ashore.
Boy, was I wrong.
Coningham Bay is located above 70° north latitude, so transportation is not convenient. Few people are lucky enough to visit it, and usually only a handful of expedition ships make the entire trip. northwest passage.
Even then, there are no guarantees. Nature rules the Arctic with an iron fist.
Adventure travel is complicated by many factors, not least weather. Swells, wind, visibility and sea ice are all determining factors. Of course, polar bears and beluga whales have their own schedules, too. We never know exactly where they will be. There may not be any there, but there are plenty elsewhere. That’s one of the reasons I love exploring in this way.
It’s truly an adventure. This is truly an adventure. We have to look and explore to find the amazing places. And hopefully something will be done where polar bears hunt beluga whales.
As we approached Coningham Bay on an Adventure Canada flight, we were enveloped in a million layers of beautiful weather. Out of the Northwest Passage travel.
The North Pole in September is already full of autumn, and the snow has just begun to fall. Before we even got to the vicinity of Coningham Bay we got a call over the radio that we had spotted a dozen bears in the area. Oh my God!
I was excited, even more excited than usual. I wandered around the outside deck, binoculars pressed to my face, the suspense killing me. I can’t wait to get out and see the bears.
I would also like to mention that we follow AECO guidelines for wild animals (including polar bears and whales): do not approach them, keep a safe distance, never disturb them, etc. Canadian Adventure Center also has a solid team of experienced polar bear guards with deterrents and guns; many of whom are local Inuit. But don’t worry; the situation almost never escalates to this.
Almost as soon as we stacked the zodiac on the gangway, we started seeing wildlife. Suddenly, a narwhal appeared in the shallows next to us. Sea unicorn, oh my god! ! ! It rolled in the water next to us for a long time. The water is almost crystal clear and looks like the Mediterranean Sea. It’s freezing cold but you can see right down to the bottom.
Passing through the shallow inlet, Coningham Bay greeted us with about a dozen polar bears dotted around it. Mother and cubs. Big boys. Swimming bear. Even a freshly dead bear. There are also beluga whales playing around. There are many bears, usually solitary, just hanging out and not disturbing each other. There is enough food to go around. It’s hard not to want to clique – who do you root for? Bear or beluga?
Sure enough, we hit our maximum load. A mother and her two calves were eating a dead whale. As a photographer and storyteller who loves wildlife, it’s very exciting to see things in action. I have been on several safari trips in Africa and the most exciting sights are those of predators on the hunt. I know it’s morbid, but seeing a bear covered in blood was wild and unforgettable.
Watching polar bears and beluga whales in Coningham Bay was one of my best wildlife experiences. I will never, ever forget that day.
Many thanks to Canadian Expeditions for hosting me in the Arctic. As always, I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own and you can expect less from me!
