Polar Bear Watching in Canada
Not just bears on the ‘twoonie'
Polar bears are called the lords of the Arctic. Polar bear watching can be done in one place in Canada : Churchill, Manitoba. Just outside the town you can come face-to-face with these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat on the sub-Arctic tundra.
Churchill is on the shore of Hudson Bay and is known as the 'Polar Bear Capital of the World'. Prior to the summer, the Hudson Bay polar bears hunt seals on the pack ice. As the ice melts in summer, the bears disperse inland to their denning grounds. Then, by early-October, large numbers of polar bears regularly gather along the shore near Churchill, anxiously waiting for the 'freeze-up' when the sea ice forms again. With the oncoming freeze, wind and tides crack and shift the ice, opening channels over large areas.
Polar bear watching is ideal at this time because it produces prime seal habitat within 50 miles (80 km) of shore. Around the third week of November the bay freezes sufficiently and the polar bears disappear to the rich seal-hunting ice where they spend the winter.
Polar bear tours are offered while the bears await the freeze. A Canadian polar bear tour is a great way to view and photograph these 'lords of the arctic' in a comfortable and safe setting.
Watching polar bears does require you to bring plenty of film on your trip. You will want to capture every moment of this incredible Arctic adventure!
