Polar Bear
Viewing

On top of many travellers’ bucket lists are polar bears, and what could be better than viewing these magnificent animals in their natural environment? Viewing them at close range, perhaps! Our polar bear programs operate out of Manitoba, a vast low-lying province in central Canada, covered in prairie, forest and tundra bordering Hudson Bay. The shores of this large, brackish body of water are inhabited by many polar bears, who eagerly wait each year for the bay to freeze over so they can hunt their favourite prey – seals.

Our two long-time partners operate a number of tours from Churchill, nicknamed “The Polar Bear Capital of the World”, and offer visitors unbelievable opportunities to observe polar bears in the wild. Most of these programs depart in autumn, as the pack ice is developing. Viewing is done from specially designed tundra vehicles or while on excursions by boat, by all-terrain vehicle or on foot from a wilderness lodge, which serves as your base. If you’re travelling later in the season, there may also be the chance to view Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights, a natural phenomenon that lights up winter night skies in otherworldly colours.

If you prefer warmer weather, there are also a great range of summer departures available. In July and August, guests may enjoy a chance to swim with beluga whales, walk across tundra ablaze with colourful wildflowers and take advantage of longer daylight hours to photograph unique Arctic wildlife such as foxes, hares and ptarmigan.