An Arctic Family

I'm glad I'm not a seal!

It's 10pm. The siren sounds. My second night in Churchill and I already understand. It's time to go in - or at least stay only on the one well-lit main street without diversion. Why ? Well, because your life literally depends on it, and on the conservation management team that roam the perimeter of this small Arctic town 24 hours a day.


In the 20 plus years that I have been living outside the US, I've been asked a few times about the polars bears that walk the streets when I mention I live in Sweden. While this is a definite misconception - here in Churchill, Canada's only main port on the Arctic ocean, the uncontested kings of the Arctic are frequent visitors to this tiny community of 1,000 residents.

Some 600-1,000 polar bears, the largest concentration in the world, congregate in Churchill for about 6 weeks every autumn. At the edge of the Hudson Bay (the second largest bay in the world) they wait. By mid-November, enough ice has formed along the coast for them to once again return to their hunting grounds and siege a much awaited seal meal. While they wait, we humans are provided with a rare opportunity to witness these majestic beings in their natural habitat.

Let's make no mistake about it - the environment they call home is harsh. Of the 4,600 mammal species, only about 40 live in the arctic. Food this time of year is scarce to non-existant. Common conditions include temperatures of -30 to 40 celsius with winds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. While not thriving, life here continues, and each year babies are born - to both the humans and bears that inhabit this Arctic realm.

The polar bears seem perfectly adapted to the Arctic conditions. With amazing dexterity, this huge being can glide it's 450 kilo body gently over ice that a 75 kilo person would step through. They are excellent swimmers, can smell a seal up to 20 miles away, and can go several months without food. (new mothers sometimes go up to 8 months!) However, despite their ability to accept and adjust to the land as it is, they are still vulnerable to humans.

In contrast, we humans, the least adapted of all Arctic animals, would die in less than half an hour if exposed unprotected in Arctic conditions. Yet through observing these top predators, man has also learned to cope with and survive life on the tundra.

In Churchill, people and polar bears have co-existed naturally for centuries, maintaining a precious balance through mutual respect.

To the native people of this area, 'family' meant more than just humans. It included the animals, the land, and all else on it. To not live in balance with this 'family' meant their own lives would be compromised. This humility and respect for all life in the family was key to survival. Today, these native beliefs shine through in the way the people of this communinity, and those who come to work in Churchill during viewing season, passionately protect and the animals and preserve the land they live on.

One might ask - why take this type of journey? Should humans be 'viewing' on the tundra in the first place? Can we do so without causing harm? My answer - absolutely. We should, and we must - as long as we do it with awareness, humility and respect. In doing so, we are offered the opportunilty to experience an intimate connection with our surroundings. These experiences of connection invoke in us a desire - to understand, to protect, to preserve.

Effortless to consciously connect? No!
The gains? Profound!

It is difficult to leave such a place, such an experience, without a deepened connection to oneself  - and that, in turn, enables us to open our hearts to others and pepetuate our desire and responsibility to take care of earth's 'family'.

I am humbled by my brief time surrounded by Arctic beauty - the people who live and work here, the animals and the land, are a conscious reminder that 'family' regardless of species,  includes us all.

Lynn G.