Magical Lights

March 17, 2023

Earlier this month we went on a bucket list vacation to see the amazing aurora borealis, or northern lights. But the trip turned out to be so much more than what I expected.

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada is one of the best places in the world to view the sub-Arctic and all its wonders. Only accessible by train or plane, this area, with a community of 800 residents on the rocky Hudson Bay coastline, offers a unique opportunity to experience a world virtually untouched by human hands.

Not sure what to expect, I packed thermal underwear, multiple pairs of socks, snow pants, boots, a hat and scarf, gloves and mittens, and a ski mask and headed from sunny 90F Florida to the below zero weather of Churchill, Canada for a seven-day adventure.

We traveled with a tour company, Frontiers North Adventures. Frontiers not only planned our northern lights viewings, but fabulous meals, tundra buggy transportation, snowshoeing, a dogsled ride, museum tours, and speakers to talk about the indigenous people and the history of the area.

I find it difficult to find the words to describe standing in -11F at midnight watching a symphony of lights dance over our heads. Picturesque, striking, staggering, and breath-taking all come to mind. I’ve included a few of our pictures here in the blog to show nature’s magnificence.

So, what causes the northern lights? Sunspots emit a stream of charged particles the solar winds carry toward the earth. In two or three days, these particles collide with earth’s magnetic field and accelerate down the magnetic lines toward the poles. The faster charged particles enter the earth’s atmosphere and react with the nitrogen and oxygen. This reaction causes the aurora borealis, or northern lights.

Even traveling during the best season for the northern lights, you’re never guaranteed you’ll see them. The auroral oval, where the aurora activity occurs, constantly shifts. Also, you need a clear sky and low light pollution. We lucked out and had three perfect nights to enjoy nature’s light show.

The polar bear season in Churchill is in October and November. So, we didn’t see any bears on our trip. But we spent time at the Polar Bears International Museum to learn about these majestic animals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the polar bear as a vulnerable species.

There are only about 26,000 polar bears worldwide. The biggest treat the polar bear faces is climate warming. Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt, breed, roam, and sometimes to den. But because of the climate change caused by humans, the Artic is warming and the ice is melting. Researchers predict that, without action to reduce carbon emissions and stabilize the environment, we could lose the polar bear population by the end of the century.

Another threat to the polar bears is increased commercial activity. These activities include oil and gas exploration, mining, shipping, and tourism. Each of these activities brings risk to the polar bear population, which includes disturbing polar bear moms and cubs hidden in dens under the snow during their most vulnerable time. As the sea ice melts and polar bears spend more time on shore for longer periods, they expect conflicts between polar bears and people to increase.

Churchill has a 24-hour Polar Bear Alert system for anytime a person sees or has an encounter with a polar bear. They claim to be the world’s first “polar bear safe community.” Polar bears that refuse to say away from town are captured and placed in the Polar Bear Holding Facility. After a period of time, they are either relocated by helicopter, or released directly onto Hudson Bay once the ice is formed.

Global action on climate change, along with the adaptive management occurring today, will help the polar bears survive in the long run.