Around 3,000 beluga whales come into the Churchill estuary each July to moult and calve, and they are relentlessly curious…Around 3,000 beluga whales come into the Churchill estuary each July to moult and calve, and they are relentlessly curious, they swim under kayaks, follow snorkellers and chatter so loudly they are called sea canaries. Polar bears on the shore at the same time, in the only place on earth where these two Arctic icons overlap in summer. Churchill sits at the mouth of a river the Hudson's Bay Company fortified in 1717, Prince of Wales Fort still stands. Western Hudson Bay's polar bear population has declined roughly 30% since the 1980s as sea ice forms later, making Churchill an unwilling front line of climate documentation. Anchorage: Churchill port; the bay is only navigable roughly Jul-Oct. Hazards: Polar bears ashore and in the water, never go ashore without an armed guide. Water is 4-10°C; drysuit essential. Plus