We came across this great video from a previous Tundra Buggy Lodge guest who travelled with us back in November, 2008. She did a great job capturing polar bears sparring and even the rare site of a female polar bears nursing her cubs. Truly a beautiful experience.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
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We were very excited when we learned a previous Tundra Buggy Lodge guest posted about her experience on the website. Here is what she had to say about her stay with us at the Lodge.
We cannot say it enough – we love when we receive images and video from our guests from their adventures with us!
FNA guest Gary Lehman travelled with us in 2006 and sent us two videos that he created of his photographs while up in Churchill viewing polar bears. Great work Gary!
FNA Polar Bears in Churchill guest, Amanda Bunyan, is now a bit of a celebrity in the United Kingdom. She shared with us a photo she took on our adventure that was featured in the March issue of Lonely Planet Magazine. The photo was in an article called ‘Postcards’, where the magazine features reader-captured photographs with a short story about where the image was taken and what’s happening. Amanda and her mother travelled with us this past autumn on our Tundra Buggy Lodge Enthusiast-level adventure.
Great photo Amanda!
To help CBS celebrate Earth Day 2010, we teamed up with The Price is Right to offer one lucky contestant an opportunity to win a trip to Churchill, Manitoba (not quite the Arctic Circle) to experience wild polar bears on a Tundra Buggy Adventure!
Watch Edward from Minnesota exhibit more energy than an atom bomb attempt to solve ‘Pick a Pair’ and join us this autumn!
FNA staff watching Edward win
We were extremely fortunate to have journalists travel from all over the world to participate in our 2010 Northern Lights & Winter Nights adventure in March. Chinese journalist, Chen Qun, travelled with us and captured some amazing images that were featured in the April issue of InFlight magazine in China. InFlight is the official airline magazine of China. It is also the largest, distributed by all major Chinese airlines.
Check out the images below of the pages of InFlight magazine and of Chen’s photography in Churchill.
All images © 2010 Qun Chen/Images by RedRocks http://www.redrocks.net
Along with Dan Guravich and Daniel J. Cox, Tom Mangelsen is one of a handful of photographers that helped bring images of Churchill’s polar bears into popular culture. Although he hasn’t traveled with us to Cape Churchill in over a decade, Tom’s images are still making an impact, as shared by the London Telegraph.
This image of Tom’s was singled out by International League of Conservation Photographers as one of the Top 40 Nature Photographs of all time to help celebrate Christie’s inaugural Green Auction: A Bid to Save the Earth on the 40th annual Earth Day this April 22nd. Congratulations Tom!
Image © Tom Mangelsen
As we previously blogged, Frontiers North Interpretive Guide, Hayley Shephard set out on January 22, 2010 to attempt the very first solo sea kayak expedition around the remote Sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. Hayley is now back at home on Vancouver Island and sent us this amazing post-trip report of her experience:
An exceptionally remote, storm thrashed island, South Georgia stands alone in the path of relentless storms and the savage winds of the Southern Ocean. Hazardous seas constantly batter the steep and rugged terrain and fearless animals gather in abundance and dominate the few accessible beaches. As inhospitable as it sounds, South Georgia is also one of the most extraordinarily beautiful places on the planet.
However like Hayley’s hero – Sir Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer who turned disaster into the most famous lesson in survival, her expedition did not go as planned…..
Whilst heading east bound to South Georgia onboard the sailing vessel Northanger, Hayley and crew spent numerous days hoving-to in ceaseless storms. During this crossing the skipper lost a finger in a horrific accident causing the team to deviate their course to the Falkland Islands. Now a skipper short the crew was in desperate need to find a suitable sailor and it was after two weeks, just before the expedition was about to be terminated they finally found a suitable volunteer. Underway again and more storms later they finally arrived in South Georgia only to discover Hayley’s kayak, which had been shipped prior to their arrival, was severely damaged.
Finally on February 28, three weeks late, Hayley departed the shores of South Georgia, loaded with two weeks of provisions only to discover that she had chosen the worst summer on record to attempt her sea kayak journey. Due to the delay in setting off, time was tight and the wind showed no mercy. Worse still, Hayley’s flights back home were now jeopardized due to the earthquake in Chile which affected her outbound flights from Santiago. This caused limitations in extending the expedition. Finally it was clear that Hayley and the Northanger had run out of time, weather and simple luck.
Hayley spent an incredible two weeks kayaking and camping alone along the East coast of South Georgia Island, battling katabatic winds that at times nearly prevented her from reaching land. She was forced to erect her tent in 60 knot winds using boulders to keep her tent, kayak and self attached to the ground. While paddling in 4 meter seas, 2 km off shore she was unable to stop paddling for 4 hours straight due to the extremely unsteady seas. Hayley experienced the power and potency of South Georgia, living and moving amongst the abundance of creatures that call this wild and isolated place their home.
Although the completion of the island did not take place, Hayley embodied a similar persistent spirit as her hero, as she strived against all odds to fulfill her dream, and in doing so an urgent story was finally told. The Albatross, the world’s largest flying bird are rapidly becoming endangered. They spend most of their lives at sea, frequently circumnavigating the entire globe, therefore are the most vulnerable to the baited hooks on the numerous long-line fishing vessels. South Georgia is home to a number of Albatross species and Hayley was able to not only encounter the nesting Albatross intimately but film it as well. Everyday Hayley shared in their company and grace as she kayaked beneath the soaring 12 foot wingspan of the Wandering Albatross.
Thousands of people world-wide followed this epic journey and Hayley’s ambition continues as she prepares entertaining presentations to show internationally. A film is in the production stage and a book is being written – all with the hope that this quest for adventure will bring public awareness to the devastating decline in Albatross and more importantly, share the solution to save them.
Hayley, you mustered more will and determination that most of us will during our entire lives. Congratulations Hayley, we are all super proud of you!
We love The Price is Right. Especially when the game show is featuring one of our Authentic Arctic Experiences as a prize on their special Earth Day show which will air tomorrow!
We are planning a little staff party tomorrow to celebrate Earth Day and to see if a lucky contestant wins our adventure. Stay tuned!
The Canadian Tourism Commission is currently offering a contest to US residents for a trip of a lifetime to one of five selected destinations in Canada of their choice. We were very happy to see that one of the trips of a lifetime offered is to experience the beluga whales in Churchill!
If you are a resident of the US, click here to enter. If you are not a resident of the US, we still highly recommend you view the other amazing Canadian vacations featured.
Here is the video promoting the beluga whale adventure and contest.
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