内容摘要：Shishmaref School cross country team members, Madalynn Snell, 12, from left, Elmer Elliott, 9, and Kenneth Itchoak, 11, train under coach Amy Eningowuk, who also teaches second grade at the school in Shishmaref, Alaska, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Shishmaref School cross country team members, Madalynn Snell, 12, from left, Elmer Elliott, 9, and Kenneth Itchoak, 11, train under coach Amy Eningowuk, who also teaches second grade at the school in Shishmaref, Alaska, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

“I’ve never seen an animal except for maybe puppies bring that amount and capacity of joy to people,” Greene said. “Everybody’s smiling when they get off the water... Everybody’s just experiencing joy. And it’s the whales that provide that.”“With the beluga whales, I think it’s quite a different connection than with any other animal because the whales are truly choosing to socialize with you. They want to play,” Greene said. “That’s really what sets them apart from other animals. They’re so gentle. They have no desire to hurt the human.”

It doesn’t hurt that the whales have gotten to know Greene. Vergara has no doubt that they know her.Erin Greene, left, owner of Sup North, directs a person while leading a paddleboarding tour, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)Erin Greene, left, owner of Sup North, directs a person while leading a paddleboarding tour, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

The Churchill River, left, empties into the Hudson Bay, right, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, near Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)The Churchill River, left, empties into the Hudson Bay, right, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, near Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Greene sings to the whales, including “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles. She also sings the Will Ferrell Eurovision movie song “Husavik (My Hometown)” with the lyric, “where the whales can live ‘cause they’re gentle people.”

That lyric is close to reality, whale expert Vergara said.A beluga whale swims through the Churchill River, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, near Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

The town is promoting tourism for beluga whales, although those too may be harmed as the entire Hudson Bay ecosystem, including the food the belugas eat, shifts to one usually seen further south. It’s also highlighting visitors’ prospects for seeing the northern lights, spotting birds they can’t see at home, and even trying dogsledding.“In time you’re going to lose bear season. And we know that. Anyway, it’s just a matter of we’re going to have to adapt to that change,” said Mike Spence, mayor since 1995. “You can’t stew over it. That’s not going to get you any points.”

Churchill Mayor Mike Spence, a member of the Cree First Nation, poses for a portrait, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Seaport Hotel in Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)Churchill Mayor Mike Spence, a member of the Cree First Nation, poses for a portrait, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Seaport Hotel in Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)