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I had been living at sea for over a month aboard Adventure Canada's Ocean Endeavor when I first heard whispers of a very special place. Deep in the heart of Nunavut, Canada, lies Coningham Bay on the Northwest Passage, one of the Arctic's premier wildlife destinations. Have you never heard of it? Do not worry. There aren't many people like that.
Coningham Bay may look like any other bay in the Arctic's vast expanse of tundra. It is wide and desolate, but the entrance is narrow and shallow, making it special. Inside, the bay itself is quite shallow. Beluga whales like to come into the bay, wallow in the shallows, and scratch their skin. However, because the water is very shallow during low tide, the belugas are trapped in the bay until the tide comes back.
Bring back the hungry polar bears!
When I first heard this, I hardly believed it. Is there a place where polar bears hunt beluga whales? I was skeptical. I think it's something like that. earth planet Documentaries, rare and uncommon, not something people usually see.
Polar bears mainly hunt seals on the ice. I've seen polar bears in the wild several times, but I've never seen them hunt or even kill a whale. Skeptical, I was all like, “Can they take down the beluga?” Maybe you feed injured calves or calves, or maybe after they are already dead and washed up on the beach.
Honey, am I wrong?
Coningham Bay, over 70°N, is not easy to access. Few people are lucky enough to visit this place, usually only on a few expedition ships that make the entire trip via the Northwest Passage.
Even so, it is not guaranteed. Mother Nature rules the Arctic with an iron fist.
Expeditions are complicated by many factors, especially the weather. Water waves, wind, visibility and sea ice are all important. And, of course, polar bears and belugas keep their own schedules. We don't know exactly where they will be. There might be nothing there, or there might be a heap somewhere else. This is one of the reasons I love exploring this way.
It's truly an adventure. It is truly an expedition. We have to look and explore to find amazing places. And I hope it conveys where polar bears hunt beluga whales.
It was a sunny morning as we, bundled up in a million layers, approached Coningham Bay on Adventure Canada's Out of the Northwest Passage trip.
September in the Arctic is already full fall and snow has started to fall. Before we even got near Coningham Bay, we got a call on the radio that more than a dozen bears had already been spotted in the area. shit!
I was so excited, even more excited than usual. The tension was killing me as I stood outside on the deck with binoculars glued to my face. I couldn't wait until it was my turn to get out and see the bears in the zodiac.
We would also like to mention that we follow AECO guidelines for wildlife, including polar bears and whales. That means don't approach, keep a safe distance, and never disturb. Adventure Canada also has a solid team of experienced polar bear guards. Deterrence and firearms; Many of them are local Inuit. But don't worry. It rarely happens that things escalate that far.
As soon as we built a zodiac sign in the passage, we started seeing wildlife. Suddenly a narwhal appeared right next to us in the shallows. Sea unicorns, oh my!!! It rolled around in the water next to us for a long time. The water was almost crystal clear and looked like the Mediterranean Sea. Even though it was as cold as ice, I could see straight to the bottom.
As we zoom into the shallow inlet, we are greeted by the sight of a dozen polar bears dotted around Coningham Bay. mother and cub. Big boy. Bear swimming. Even a freshly dead bear. And the beluga was jumping around too. There were so many bears that they usually kept to themselves and just roamed around without disturbing each other. There was enough food to go around. It's hard not to want to be biased. Who are you rooting for? Bear or beluga?
And sure enough, we reached the Motherlode. There was a mother with two calves who were eating a dead whale. As a photographer and storyteller who loves wildlife, it's really exciting to see things in action. I've been on several safaris in Africa, and the most exciting sights were when the predators were on the hunt. I know this is morbid, but seeing a bear covered in gore was wild and unforgettable.
Spotting polar bears and belugas in Coningham Bay is one of the best wildlife experiences. I will never, ever forget that day.
Many thanks to Adventure Canada for hosting me in the Arctic. As always, I am telling the truth. All opinions are my own so expect less from me!