about wat'chee
Our Mission
Watโchee Expeditions, established in 1994, is a full-service non-consumptive wilderness lodge located 40 miles south of Churchill, Manitoba owned and operated by Michael and Morris Spence. The lodge is a refurbished navy communications base adjacent to Wapusk National Park and the worldโs largest polar bear denning area. Open for only a short period every year, Watโchee Expeditions offers a unique opportunity in North America to see polar bear cubs and their mothers in their natural habitat. With a rare operating permit from Parks Canada, Watโchee Expeditions brings visitors as close as 100 metres to the bears, while they learn about various aspects of the bearsโ dens, habits and life cycle. Other wildlife viewing opportunities include ptarmigan, arctic foxes, caribou herds and wolves in addition to night time viewing of aurora borealis.
Watโchee Expeditions was recognized by Travel Manitoba and awarded the Aboriginal Tourism Award at the 2008 Manitoba Tourism Awards. Watโchee Expeditions was named a finalist in the Business of the Year category (single unit) in the Tourism Industry Association of Canadaโs (TIAC) National Tourism Awards program.
Watโchee Expeditions has long been a coveted secret of naturalists and wildlife photographers. Images and video taken at Watโchee Expeditions have been seen around the world resulting in international exposure for Manitoba. Many pictures of polar bear cubs and mothers have been taken at Watโchee Expeditions and are commonly seen in magazines, books, calendars, et cetera.
Watโchee Expeditions is a beautifully refurbished navy communications base which stands 300 feet on top of an old beach ridge located about 40 miles south of Churchill, MB. Canada.
The lodge is a world-renowned destination for the adventurous naturalist, the avid nature photographer, or for any and all vacationers who want to fully experience the world-class travel opportunities that the Canadian sub-arctic has to offer.
Watโchee in the Cree language means โa hill covered with trees in the middle of the tundraโ. Like an island surrounded by tundra, Watโchee Expeditions is situated in the middle of the worldโs largest polar bear denning area adjacent to Wapusk National Park.
Watโchee Expeditions has a commanding view of the vast Hudson Bay lowlands that sprawl to the seashore of Hudson Bay, dotted by stands of one-sided spruce trees, tundra hummocks, small lakes and willow-lined creeks. This is the habitat of the Willow Ptarmigan, Cape Churchill, Caribou herds, Wolf, White Fox and the Polar Bear: โ โ the worldโs largest land predator.
