It has been so long since we’ve been away…. after nineteen months of COVID lockdowns and distancing, it was finally possible.
We booked a one-day, fly-in/fly-out excursion to view Polar Bears in Churchill Manitoba.
In northern Manitoba, Polar Bear season begins around mid October. Bears who had been living in the bush all summer congregate on the shore of Hudson Bay, waiting for the open water to freeze over.
Once the ice forms, the bears immediately head out on the ice for the winter. But for those few weeks, they are found in abundance along the shoreline.
The tour was very well organized, with great guides and good food. We boarded our plane in Edmonton at a very early hour, arriving in Churchill shortly after sunrise after a two-hour flight.
We were immediately taken by bus to the Tundra Buggy loading ramp. That was the last time we stood on terra firma for the rest of the day…. one does not leave the buggies for a hike in Polar Bear country!
The buggies – there are roughly 18 on the road on any day – are roomy inside. They have a decent washroom on board, and a viewing platform at the rear. A great lunch was served (and consumed) on the buggy.
When a bear is spotted, the buggies converge and park, motors are shut off, and the passengers raise their cameras and watch the animals from open windows and the buggy’s viewing deck… a safe distance above the bears.
The animals are indifferent to our presence, and may approach the vehicles out of curiosity…. but are equally likely to just yawn and fall asleep. Or continue on with whatever they are doing – foraging, playing, wandering.
Just hanging out seemed to sum up many bears’ daily routine at this time of year.
Over the course of the day, we spotted a half dozen bears, including a mother and cub. Plus fox, ptarmigan, and snow buntings.
We were fortunate to have good weather…. of course, weather in Churchill changes on the half hour. We had snow, rain, and bright sunshine. The animals coped with the weather just fine.
The terrain was equally varied – with soggy permafrost, rocky tide pools, and interesting rock outcroppings.
I would have happily spent another day on the buggies, but the multi-day tour packages with overnights in Churchill or in the more remote lodges are much more costly. Still, we certainly felt we’d gotten our money’s worth from our one day visit.
The only down side was, we were not taken into town – bussed straight from airport to buggy and back. That may have been due to new Transport Canada rules on air crew hours, but it seemed more like the town didn’t want to take the risk of anyone bringing covid in. There were two small souvenir stands at the airport but that was the only shopping so we didn’t collect many souvenirs. I know there are lots of artisans etc up there – they must be hurting. I’m going to look for stuff online, but maybe a second visit will happen some day to take in the town.
I hope the bears will be waiting.
Paul Cordingley 