This Canadian town plays host to thousands of belugas each summer

Aug 16 2024, 12:00 pm

There’s been a nature-loving event right under Canadian’s noses offering a magical chance to get up close and personal with the friendly, playful, intelligent and curious gentle giants of the sea.

Usually, plenty of visitors have been attracted to one town on Hudson Bay because it is commonly known as the polar bear capital in the winter. However, word has been getting around that in the summer months, pods of belugas spend their time in the Western Hudson Bay.

Clive Jackson

According to one excursion company, Frontiers North Adventures, about 3,000 of the world’s belugas migrate yearly near Churchill, Manitoba, and 60,000 beluga whales summer in the Hudson Bay area. This natural wonder, of course, gives travellers to the area an unforgettable experience.

beluga

Clive Jackson

There are several tours in Canada (which usually take place for a few days) in the summer months, which can start for around $700 to thousands, depending on how long the tour is.

Some packages even include paddle boarding and kayaking among the beluga whales in Churchill, Manitoba.

beluga

Lazy Bear Expeditions/Instagram

If you are a little nervous getting so close to the white-coloured whales, Lazy Bear Expedition reassures folks, “Belugas are curious and social mammals who freely approach us and actively seek out passing watercraft in order to watch their human counterparts.”

“The gentle giants of the sea are friendly, playful, intelligent and curious. They are also blessed with the gift of song–whistling, chirping, clicking and clanging. They can even mimic other sounds, earning their title as the most vocal whales in the world,” the company added on its site.

Lazy Bear Expeditions/Instagram

This is truly an unforgettable experience for those lucky enough to make their way over to Manitoba.


In 2023, Churchill was named one of Time magazine’s great places to visit and shed light on the dreamy aurora borealis that could be seen in this remote Hudson Bay outpost. Of course, it also mentioned the incredible polar bears and belugas that enter the waters, which makes Churchill so special.

We don’t know about you, but we are certainly adding a visit to Churchill, Manitoba, to our bucket list.

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