Polar Bears Churchill Canada - November 2022
Churchill, Manitoba - The "Polar Bear Capital of the World”
It's no secret that the world's polar bear populations are disappearing. Global warming has resulted in thinning of sea ice in the Arctic that these creatures need to help find food. These polar bears spend their winters feasting on seals—their favorite food—on the sea ice of Hudson Bay.
Churchill is a remote town of fewer than 1,000 people and sits on the edge of Hudson Bay in Canada. There are no roads to Churchill so we could only get there via train or plane. What makes Churchill world-famous, ("the polar bear capital of the world.") is that it lies on the migration path of the polar bears.
It is estimated that 900 (down from 1,200) of these creatures move through the area each autumn from mid-October to early November. As soon as sturdy ice forms on Hudson Bay, they leave the area to hunt for seals for the winter.
When we learned that our daughter Alison had a week off before starting her new job we grabbed the last few spots on the charter to Churchill, in Manitoba for an awesome adventure. We weren’t disappointed!
For 2 full days, we braved the in-hospitable tundra to seek out the polar bears on the shores of Hudson Bay in an all-terrain vehicle called an Arctic Crawler.
In addition to getting up-close views of a mother and her cub, we had a ringside seat to gawk at 2 enormous male polar bears sparing (or play fighting) right next to our crawler. These bears are honing their fighting skills and establishing a hierarchy in the community which helps their success during the real fights of the breeding season. We were able to witness up close the massive frames of these creatures which grow to 10 ft tall and weigh in at 1,500 lbs. Staggering!
During our stay, we visited The Polar Bear Holding Facility, affectionately known as the “polar bear jail” where bears who have been chased from town are held here for up to a month before being released north of Churchill. We were lucky enough to see one such polar bear being airlifted by helicopter to the jail.
While visiting Churchill we had to be careful outside, as the city is frequently visited by polar bears looking for food. In fact, it is against the law to lock your house or car doors so in case of attack one could retreat to the safety of a home or a vehicle.
To complete a wonderful experience on our second evening in Churchill we were greeted by the northern lights (aurora borealis) after returning to the lodge one evening after dinner (at the humane time of 9:30 pm). We savored every moment!
We got a comprehensive education and close encounters with all things polar bear with a bonus sighting of the Northern Lights.
Highly recommended!
Happy Holidays
Ali, Michele, and Alan
Read MoreIt's no secret that the world's polar bear populations are disappearing. Global warming has resulted in thinning of sea ice in the Arctic that these creatures need to help find food. These polar bears spend their winters feasting on seals—their favorite food—on the sea ice of Hudson Bay.
Churchill is a remote town of fewer than 1,000 people and sits on the edge of Hudson Bay in Canada. There are no roads to Churchill so we could only get there via train or plane. What makes Churchill world-famous, ("the polar bear capital of the world.") is that it lies on the migration path of the polar bears.
It is estimated that 900 (down from 1,200) of these creatures move through the area each autumn from mid-October to early November. As soon as sturdy ice forms on Hudson Bay, they leave the area to hunt for seals for the winter.
When we learned that our daughter Alison had a week off before starting her new job we grabbed the last few spots on the charter to Churchill, in Manitoba for an awesome adventure. We weren’t disappointed!
For 2 full days, we braved the in-hospitable tundra to seek out the polar bears on the shores of Hudson Bay in an all-terrain vehicle called an Arctic Crawler.
In addition to getting up-close views of a mother and her cub, we had a ringside seat to gawk at 2 enormous male polar bears sparing (or play fighting) right next to our crawler. These bears are honing their fighting skills and establishing a hierarchy in the community which helps their success during the real fights of the breeding season. We were able to witness up close the massive frames of these creatures which grow to 10 ft tall and weigh in at 1,500 lbs. Staggering!
During our stay, we visited The Polar Bear Holding Facility, affectionately known as the “polar bear jail” where bears who have been chased from town are held here for up to a month before being released north of Churchill. We were lucky enough to see one such polar bear being airlifted by helicopter to the jail.
While visiting Churchill we had to be careful outside, as the city is frequently visited by polar bears looking for food. In fact, it is against the law to lock your house or car doors so in case of attack one could retreat to the safety of a home or a vehicle.
To complete a wonderful experience on our second evening in Churchill we were greeted by the northern lights (aurora borealis) after returning to the lodge one evening after dinner (at the humane time of 9:30 pm). We savored every moment!
We got a comprehensive education and close encounters with all things polar bear with a bonus sighting of the Northern Lights.
Highly recommended!
Happy Holidays
Ali, Michele, and Alan
