COVER: Photo © Alex de Vries-Magnifico
Churchill is a small remote community in northern Manitoba, Canada roughly 110 kilometres (68 miles) from the Manitoba and Nunavut border. Churchill is along the Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Churchill River on the 58th parallel North far above most Canadian populated areas. Churchill is far from any other towns or cities, with Thompson, approximately 400 km (250 mi) to the south, being the closest larger settlement. Manitoba’s provincial capital, Winnipeg, is approximately 1000 km (620 mi) south of Churchill. The small community stands at an ecotone, on the Hudson Plains, at the juncture of three ecoregions: the boreal forest to the south, the Arctic tundra to the northwest, and the Hudson Bay to the north. Churchill lies just south of the parallel of Stockholm, Sweden, and just north of that of Inverness, Scotland.
Churchill was named after John Churchill in 1686, the 3rd governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Duke of Marlborough.
Please find information on our Traveling to Churchill page
All international travellers are required to have passports to enter Canada. Well before your departure, visit the Government of Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration website for more information.
If you are a non-U.S. citizen, check with your local authorities for documents required for entry into Canada. Please visit website for information.
All travellers to and from the United States are required to have a passport. For more info visit website for information.
Visitors are advised to exchange their funds at any financial institution and/or can use U.S. money as it is readily accepted in Manitoba and in Churchill.
NOTE: You will not be able to exchange any of your currency into Canadian currency once in Churchill unless you have a Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) account with the bank. Visa, Master Card & Interact are widely accepted but not AMEX.
The WIFI in the subarctic can be slow so patience has to be exercised. The Churchill Public Library has several computers available for use but limited to 30 minutes. Lodgings in Churchill have free WIFI.
YES! Please bring your water bottle from home and fill up with the local tap water.
There is no laundromat in Churchill so expect to pay for laundry services in Churchill at your lodgings.
June 7°C (44.7 Fahrenheit)
July 12.7°C (54.8 Fahrenheit)
August 12.3°C (54.1Fahrenheit)
June average daylight: 18.02 hours
July average daylight: 18.22 hours
August average daylight: 16.45 hours
Yes, you can see the Northern Lights if the night sky is clear.
It is possible to see polar bears but it is not guaranteed.
Our subarctic beluga whale tours are 100% outdoor activities and thus will be subject to all the environmental factors. Biting insects are present in Churchill and may or may not be an issue during your visit. A dry summer could mean little or no bugs and windy cool temperatures will discourage biting insects. Generally, mid July to mid August can be a time of bugs. In order to be prepared please bring insect repellent without DEET. It is best to wear long pants, long sleeves and sunglasses and spray your cap with bug spray on the tours. This is also advisable for any trail/walking tours (Prince of Wales fort), hiking tours (Sloop Cove) and when waiting at docking areas for the tours..
Churchill has only one grocery store “Northern Store”. Some products may not be readily available as in southern stores. Hours are available once you arrive in Churchill.
Churchill has a Health Centre with a hospital and pharmacy. Hours are posted within the Churchill community.
Churchill is blessed with a wonderful Community Center. This center houses all local government district, library, movie theater, gymnasium, school, hockey rink, curling rink, bowling alley, pool, gymnasium, fitness center and much more. This “Complex” is open to the public and hours are posted within the community.
Tamarack rentals has vehicles for rent. Please visit their website at Tamarack Rentals to contact them and for further information.
There are several restaurants each with fine menus. Some have vegetarian dishes & vegan meals. Sample menus can sometimes be obtained at the front desk of your hotel or inquiry once in Churchill for a list of restaurants.
There is one taxi company, Churchill Taxi. Please contact them at 1-204-675-2345.
No. The Department of Oceans & Fisheries has banned swimming with whales in Canada.
We recommend booking as far in advance as possible to ensure availability. This is especially important for travelers booking Chartered Zodiac Tours or large group bookings. We do advise to book all the water tours first and then book land tours around the whale tours because land tours are not subject to tide limitations.
To avoid any disappointment on any one tour, book as soon as possible. Any services can be limited in numbers when offered in a remote isolated small northern community.
If you are willing to invest into the travel costs to get to Churchill then you should invest in booking the tours in advance so you can enjoy your subarctic beluga whale safaris.
We take a credit card number at time of booking. The card will not be charged, it is only to hold the tour. Any tours cancelled by our office due to required tour minimum number participation or extreme weather conditions affecting estuary and Bay conditions or other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control will be rescheduled. Individuals who fail to notify the administration/office about tour cancellation 48 hours prior to tour time will be charged the tour price in full per person. Cancellation fee will be charged if conditions that prevent you from participating in your booked tour are simple change of mind or pre existing conditions. Any changes to tours can be made via phone, email or in person. If transportation delays impact your ability to attend a tour, please contact us as soon as possible and we will do our best to reschedule you, if that is not possible, no refund will be issued (we highly recommend trip cancellation insurance). No partial refunds or credits will be given for services not used that have been purchased as a “group tour”.
Click to review our Cancellation Policy.
Other possible costs while you visit the friendly community of Churchill may include nominal entry fees to certain National Historic Sites and/or presentations, craft workshops (hosted by gift shop), taxi fares/transportation, meals, laundry and all other tours.
We often get asked to suggest an amount to tip. So based on our research we can suggest the following. In Canadian dollars (CAD$): Interpretive Guides $15 per day; Tundra Buggy and boat drivers $10 per excursion; Hotel housekeeping staff $2 per day; Restaurant staff 15% per meal bill. Manitoba has 13% tax on meals thus you can match that amount for tipping the server.
Rules, guidelines and safety considerations must be adhered to and failure to comply may cause Sea North Tours to extricate any client who fails to show due diligence or conform to the substance of the tour.
Last estimate from 2017 is 6000 beluga whales. 3000 to 5000 beluga whales enter the Churchill Estuary with every tide (estimates).
An estimated population of 60,000 beluga whales are in the Western Hudson Bay region.
The best time visit is between July 10 and August 24 for the beluga whales.
All tour times are determined around the tides. There are two high tides in 24 hours (12 hours apart) and two low tides in 24 hours (12 hours apart). Thus, the tours are determined around a high and a low tide within 12 hours. The high tide is roughly 6 hours apart from the low tide.
Roughly the tour times move up an hour because the tide times change daily by about one hour.
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon, the Sun and the rotation of Earth. Therefore, Mother Nature is the BOSS! She tells us when we can put our boats on the water and when to take them off due to the tides. We cannot change the tour times, you have to change your itinerary in order to meet the tides. We do advise to book all the water tours first and then book land tours around the whale tours because land tours are not subject to tide limitations.
Yes, you can do a high tide tour and a low tide tour in the same day. High tide tours are: Beluga & Fort, Sloop Cove Hike, Estuary Boat Tour, and Private Zodiac charters. Low Tide Tours are: Kayak and Paddle boarding.
No. The Department of Oceans & Fisheries has banned swimming with whales in Canada.
No, this is not the same tour. The Beluga & Fort tour is a combination tour with one hour whale watching and one interpreted hour at the Historic 1731 Fort Prince of Wales.
The Churchill Estuary Tour is 2 hours of beluga whale watching and does not go to the Fort Prince of Wales.
Sea North Tours has a shuttle service to our docking area. You must be present at 153 Kelsey Blvd. 30 minutes before your scheduled tour time. We do not pick up at individual accommodation facilities. All guests meet at 153 Kelsey Blvd, Polar Inn & Suites, home of Sea North Tours. There is no charge for the shuttle.
Please click on Plan Your Trip > Churchill and Surrounding Area Map to view the shuttle bus location in reference to your hotel.
You can bring something to drink on all of your tours and it is a good idea if you are on the Sloop Cove Hike to bring water and if required an energy bar or fruit.
The Sea North Tours dock on the East Peninsula is equipped with outhouses. The Prince of Wales Fort kiosk on the West Peninsula is also equipped with outhouses.
To properly answer this question, Sea North Tours reached out to one of our very experienced local photographers, Mr. Mike Macri.
Sunny morning or evening incoming tides are great for surface shots, mid day is excellent for underwater photography from a zodiac, have also had good results in overcast, surface or underwater, try to keep your shutter speed up. Take advice from the Sea North guides on how to get close, they are the best! Mike Macri Website
Kayaking is a low tide tour so you will get some mud on your shoes. Therefore, do not wear shoes you do not want to get dirty. Water shoes, sneakers or boots are all good. Wear comfortable upper body clothes, not something that will restrict you from paddling. Bring sunglasses (polarized are the best), baseball cap and gloves, if you have. Always have your camera on a lanyard. If you do not protect your camera it may get splashed at your own risk.
Sea North Tours Ltd. does not rent out kayaks or paddle boards. In order to kayak and/or paddle board with our company you must reserve a kayak or paddle tour. We provide guided safety zodiacs for these tours for our guests.
You need to ask yourself if you want to paddle solo or tandem (a kayak equipped for two paddling guests). Choosing a tandem kayak can be a good choice if you or the other guest is nervous and the experience would be more confidence boosting with a buddy. Tandem kayaks are great if you are paddling with a child who isn’t ready to kayak alone. If one kayaker’s ability or strength mean they won’t do well paddling alone in a single kayak, then having a stronger or more capable tandem partner is best. Some experienced kayakers also enjoy the companionship and teamwork that a double kayak provides. If one guests wishes to focus primarily on optimising beluga whale photography, then a tandem is best, one takes pictures while one paddles.
The single “solo” kayak offers more independence and freedom, and the paddler is solely responsible for the direction and performance of their kayak.
