Named for the harbour seals (normally marine creatures) that are found up to 200 kilometers upstream from Hudson Bay, Manitoba’s Seal River rushes through open spruce forest, tundra, and endless, boiling rapids. Too rugged for even the early fur traders, the river’s remote vastness remains home to spectacular wildlife such as caribou, wolverine, polar bear and 3,000 beluga whales that summer in its estuary on Hudson Bay.
Magnificent eskers, some over 100 kilometers long, crisscross this pristine and powerful waterway, providing river travellers with dramatic views, and easy passage for the 400,000 strong Kaminuriak caribou herd. The Sayisi Dene, descendants of the people who assisted Samuel Hearne on his historic overland trek to the Arctic coast, continue their ancestors’ traditional use and reverence of the river. The Seal is one of Canada’s wildest wilderness rivers.
In 1992, the Seal River was designated a Canadian Heritage River.
Site Coordinates (lat/long): N59.06673, W94.79285
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bloodvein River - Canadian Heritage River
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Hayes River - Canadian Heritage River
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Red River - Canadian Heritage River
The Canadian Heritage Rivers System
This page was prepared by Sheila Grover and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 6 February 2021
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
