Polar Bears of Churchill

DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE SLIGHTLY

Every autumn, a large number of Polar Bears gather on the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for the ice to form, impatiently milling about like passengers stranded at an airport. Many of them end up in the Cape Churchill area, about 25 kilometres from the northern town of Churchill. As soon as the bay freezes, the bears leave the tundra and move out onto the ice to hunt Ringed Seals — but until the bears go back to their solitary ways, it is possible for groups of people, protected by specially designed all-terrain vehicles, to get safely within a few metres of these mammoth white creatures.

Our Polar Bears tour is based in Churchill, Manitoba, the Polar Bear Capital of the World. We have reserved a Tundra Buggy® for two full days so that we can observe and photograph these great bears in safety and comfort as they interact with one another. We get to visit the town of Churchill and explore the adjacent boreal forest where we hope to see Red and Arctic Foxes, Arctic Hares, Canada Jays, and snow-white Willow Ptarmigans in their winter garb. We are lodging at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, which has recently completed a major state-of-the-art renovation in celebration of 35 years of research and education. The Centre conveys a warm community feel and is located just a stone’s throw from our Tundra Buggy® launch site! During our stay, we can interact with scientists working on a wide variety of projects and enjoy informative presentations on the fascinating scientific research being conducted in Churchill. Your tour leader and host Bonnie Chartier provides context for our observations and a local’s insights into the Polar Bear phenomenon here and the Hudson Bay coast more generally.