Each summer, as the sea ice recedes, more than 57,000 beluga whales return to the estuaries along stunning western Hudson Bay in Manitoba. There they mate, molt, and feed, safe from predators.

But the whales need protection from potential risks like the impact of oil spills or traffic-related noise that threaten to move in through the Port of Churchill.

Watch as biologists, guides, and researchers tag and track beluga whales in order to find out more about their environment, movements, and importance to the Inuit in the region.