Polar Bears and Northern Lights: Photographing in Churchill, Manitoba

Nestled on the edge of the Arctic, where the icy embrace of the Hudson Bay meets the rugged terrain of the Canadian wilderness, lies Churchill, Manitoba. Known as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World" and a prime destination for witnessing the Northern Lights, Churchill had been on my bucket list for years. I was finally able to make the trip in November 2023.

If something catches your eye, please check out the Limited Edition print collection on the shop (and reach out to me for any custom prints if you don’t see an image there).

Polar bear walking. Photo by Paul Zizka.

Two polar bears sparring on the tundra. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Housed safely aboard a Frontiers North Tundra Buggy ® I had several days out on the tundra to watch for polar bears, and keep my eyes out for the aurora borealis. Miraculously, everything converged once night and I was able to capture my dream image: a polar bear under the northern lights. What’s more, we had numerous bear sightings, never going more than 10 minutes without seeing one somewhere out there (and often right up next to the buggy).

Frontiers North Tundra Buggy. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Tundra Buggies near Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Sunset over Frontiers North Tundra Buggy. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Curious polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Polar bear snoozing, Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

A polar bear strikes a regal pose. Photo: Paul Zizka.

One particularly special encounter was witnessing a mother with three cubs. We witnessed an incredibly intimate moment as she nursed them right there in the land. Sadly, one of the cubs was quite emaciated and had a hard time keeping up with the clan. The group became separated and the cub was left on its own, with very little chance of survival. Such is the life on the tundra, which was both humbling and heartbreaking to witness.

A mother bear and three cubs in Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Three polar bears cubs on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba. The left-hand one was markedly smaller. Photo: Paul Zizka.

A mother bear nurses three cubs out on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

A mother bear and three cubs in Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

A mother bear scares away a male on the tundra near Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Mama bear leads her three cubs with another Tundra Buggy ® in the distance. Photo: Paul Zizka.

The stars aligned one night when the aurora borealis came to dance, and not one but two polar bears showed up at the same time. I frantically ran from one end of the buggy to the other trying to capture the scene as the polar bears moved over the tundra. It was one of those moments that, as a photographer, I needed to rely on my ingrained technical knowledge because I had to work very quickly. I am thrilled to have come away with a few shots.

Polar bear under northern lights near Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Two polar bears under northern lights near Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

The Frontiers North Tundra Buggy under Northern Lights. Photo: Paul Zizka.

I am so grateful to have finally gotten the chance to photograph these remarkable creatures in Churchill, Manitoba. I hope you enjoy the collection.

A mother and cub polar bear near Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

Polar bears cuddling on the tundra near Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

A mother and cub polar bear near Churchill, Manitoba. Photo: Paul Zizka.

If something catches your eye, please check out the Limited Edition print collection on the shop (and reach out to me for any custom prints if you don’t see an image there).

Journey Through the Torngat Mountains

The Torngats.

The name alone evokes a sense of mystery. Tucked into one of the most remote parts of Canada lies one of the last frontiers for landscape photographers and explorers alike: the Torngat Mountains. The area is an incredibly wild mix that fires up the imagination: Norway-like fjords, glacier remnants (and the associated turquoise lakes), a healthy polar bear population, jagged icebergs freshly arrived from Greenland, aurora-filled skies, cultural treasures, archeological gems, rich marine life, and some of the highest, most rugged peaks in all of Eastern Canada.

Best of all, all that incredible wilderness is now protected through the national parks system, and it is accessible to the adventurous-minded via the recently-established Torngats Base Camp.

It is a deeply sacred home to Inuit people and, back in August 2016, I had the incredible opportunity to spend a week in the area. It is truly amazing to be able to be among the first to document all that beauty with the camera. Not only that, but being able to do so in great comfort (especially given the remoteness). The facilities were top-notch, the local staff were most helpful and access to the landscape via zodiacs was as exciting as convenient.

The Torngats are truly a place you have to see for yourself. No words can do the place justice. It's like a modern-day Shangri-la, an overwhelming paradise for landscape and wildlife photographers. Even images don't get close to depicting what the Torngats are like, here's my attempt through my favourite images from the week!

→ All of these images are available as custom limited edition prints.

The Goose Bay area has great photos ops on the way up to the Torngats! Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

The Goose Bay area. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Unnamed Waterfall, Torngat Mountains, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Unnamed lake, Torngat Mountains, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Unnamed Waterfall, Torngat Mountains, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Aurora Harbour" 3 AM in the Torngats. The aurora borealis paints an incredible scene in the Labrador sky. Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

The aurora borealis paints an incredible scene in the Labrador sky. Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Aurora Borealis, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Moody day at Saglek Fjord, Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

North Arm, Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Even the local Parks staff never tire of the magic of the Torngats! Unnamed waterfall near North Arm, Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

A moment of bliss in the Torngats, sitting at the front of the boat, gazing out at the symmetry and the deep blue waters around us, and wondering what will lie around the next corner. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

North Arm, Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Sitting at the front of the boat, gazing out at the symmetry and the deep blue waters around us, and wondering what will lie around the next corner. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Torngats Glory" Just another beautiful, unnamed tumble of the Torngats. That morning it looked like Mother Nature has applied the "mosaic" filter to the reflections. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Big iceberg, bigger cliffs. Saglek Fjord, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"The Face" of SW Arm. Saglek Fjord, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

The Goose Bay area has great photos ops on the way up to the Torngats! Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Drying fish at Base Camp. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Northern Ramparts" The placid waters of the iconic Southwest Arm reflect an oil painting-like rendition of the cliffs towering above. The colourful wall rises nearly 1,000 metres above the fjord. It looks so much more impressive in person. :-) Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Welcome to the Torngats! Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

View over St. John's Harbour and Base Camp from "the inukshuk". Torngat Mountains, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Iceberg off shore, Torngat Mountains. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Northern Ramparts" The placid waters of the iconic Southwest Arm reflect an oil painting-like rendition of the cliffs towering above. The colourful wall rises nearly 1,000 metres above the fjord. It looks so much more impressive in person. :-) Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Morning at St. John's Harbour, right next to Base Camp. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Windex Lake as seen from the air. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Ramah Bay as seen from the air. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Rugged coastline of the Torngats as seen from the air. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Rugged coastline of the Torngats as seen from the air. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Nachvak Fjord from the air, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Labrador Magic." The incredible, raging Nakvak Falls, deep in Torngat Mountains National Park. This gem is reached either by flying or walking a looong way. I cheated for this one. There was only enough time for a few quick, safe shots, and off we went again! Thanks to pilot Steve for an incredible morning up high!

"Forgotten World." Of all the images I have posted from the Torngat Mountains National Park so far, this aerial view of the Southwest Arm is probably the one that is most representative of what the place is like. Part Norway, part Canadian Rockies, part Nunavut, yet unlike anywhere else I have gone before. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Aurora, noctilucent clouds and the first light of dawn paint an incredible scene in the Labrador sky. Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Self-portrait in Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Crayola Point." That is how we started referring to that 15-foot high lichen-covered spire. A bluebird day at that location really brings out the entire array of colours one finds in the Torngat Mountains. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Drifter... An underwater look at the fjords of Torngat Mountains National Park, complete with jellyfish. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Iceberg off the coast of the Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Warp Zone." Aurora over the abandoned, twisted Hudson Bay buildings of Hebron. The second I saw images of that remote, nearly deserted Moravian mission (only one family remains), I knew I wanted to photograph it at night. Big thanks to The Torngats Base Camp for getting me out there, and to bear guard Joe for working after hours and wandering around the site with me! Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Wild teetering iceberg, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

"Framed In Ice". Last light on the behemoths of the Labrador coast. These towers were approximately 30 metres high. I took a flurry of shots, trying to frame that little island as the light was fading and the boat was bobbing. Thankfully one of the frames worked out! Torngat Mountains, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Unnamed turquoise lake near North Arm, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Black Bear Tracks, Unnamed lake near North Arm, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Ramparts of the Southwest Arm, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Marine life, Torngat Mountains National Park. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

King of the hills. Large, healthy polar bear roaming among some of the world's oldest rocks. Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Large, healthy polar bear roaming among some of the world's oldest rocks. Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Abandoned, twisted Hudson Bay buildings of Hebron, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Rooftop sunrise, Hebron Moravian mission, Labrador. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.

Watching the nearly-nightly aurora borealis display from my tent, Torngat Mountains Base Camp. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.