The Ultimate Polar Bear Safari In Churchill Manitoba

One of my top travel goals every year is to see as many of the endangered species in their natural habitats. Almost every trip I take involves some sort of majestic animal interaction. I guess some of this comes from thinking that maybe one day in our lifetimes these amazing species may only exist in zoos. As unfortunate as that sounds, and maybe that never happens, but the possibility does exist. The other part is when I was a child my dad would watch Mutual Of Omaha’s ” Wild Kingdom ” every Sunday night. Listening to Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler narrate behind the backdrop of the African Savannah, Antarctica, or the Amazon while speaking about the wild animals made me want to see them all. So, when the opportunity came up to take a Polar Bear Safari in Churchill Manitoba I jumped at the chance. Plus, Polar Bears are my favorite animal.

There are a lot of places in this world to see Polar Bears but I chose Churchill Manitoba because it has the largest concentration of Polar Bears in North America ( nicknamed the Polar bear capital of the world) and it was logistically easier to cram into my schedule than say Alaska or Svalbard.

Polar Bears are big business in Churchill and any basic internet search will yield you a wide variety of tour companies from commercial to private, to independent locals who will drive you all over Churchill in their truck! When I travel to places, I am normally the DYI let’s see what I can get us into traveler. Sometimes that has paid huge dividends and made me look heroic in the eyes of my travel compatriots. Other times that has backfired and left me with months of endless apologizing and atonement.

Because of my time constraints, the logistics traveling to the remote town of Churchill, and my lack of owning sub-zero parka gear, I chose to take an all-inclusive tour with Frontiers North. Frontiers North Adventures is a family business that has been operating in Canada’s North for three decades, they specialize in travel for small groups of guests with specific interests in experiential travel, photography, wildlife, culture, and adventure. Learn More About Frontiers North here 

Getting there

Most tour companies you choose will include your travel from inside Canada to Churchill as part of the tour cost. This is another reason why I chose Frontiers North and the tour. They took care of the transport to and from Churchill making that part of organizing the trip a whole lot easier. If you are going to put this trip together yourself keep in mind here are no highways or roads that lead into Churchill, so you only have two options to get there. You either fly or take the VIA Rail Canada. The train will take you about 2 days of travel time to reach Churchill and prices vary depending on the season, you can click here for fares and times.  I would only choose this option if you hate to fly, love trains, want to take your vehicle with you, or have the extra time to spare, otherwise flying will have to be your option. Only a select few airlines fly from a major US city directly into Churchill. Most likely you will have to fly into an eastern Canadian city then connect to Churchill. Through my research, the closest and the most affordable connection is flying fly into Winnipeg, the closest major city to Churchill, then flying the 90 minutes into Churchill. This was the route I chose.

The Tour

When I arrived in Winnipeg, I checked into the Four Points Sheraton, The accommodations at this hotel were part of the tour itinerary and covered in the tour price. The hotel works in conjunction with Frontiers North so the next morning you check-in for your tour at the lobby, eat breakfast, then you get fitted for your parka gear, jump on a bus and head to an airstrip where you board a private charted twin-prop plane. I had my reservations about getting on a propeller plane in a blizzard. That probably comes from watching all those Aerial Alaska type shows where these little planes are bouncing around like the back of a bus but on this day it was as smooth as glass. Private charters are a nice way to travel because they drive you out to the plane and you get on it and go, no waiting, no security checks, no long lines.

By the time I got to Churchill, it was already mid-afternoon. Once I arrived in Churchill there was a Frontiers North representative there that will take your luggage to the hotel you will be staying at in Churchill. That’s because you won’t be going straight to your hotel. You will be heading out immediately on the Canadian tundra to view Polar Bears and there is no need to tote your suitcases around with you.

Within 30 minutes of landing, we were out on the Bay boarding the custom-built Tundra Buggies. I have to admit I was excited to ride in the Tundra Buggy. It looks like the ultimate grown-up toy and it was fun to ride in it. Believe it or not, there is a real fireplace on this thing.

Part of any great trip is the ambiance. Growing up in ice-cold weather in the Northeastern United States developed a hatred for sub-zero temperatures. I remember walking to school as a kid and my eyelashes would freeze together and I swore as soon as I was old enough, I was moving to a warm climate and that’s what I did. As soon as I was of adult age, I moved to San Diego California and that is where I have been ever since. However, who wants to see polar bears in the sun? For my Polar Bear viewing, I wanted all the arctic had to offer, ice-cold temperatures, gloomy skies, and snow. I got my wish.

It didn’t take long on the Tundra Buggy and low and behold ou first Polar bear sighting!

We managed to see a few more Polar Bears before heading back to the town of Churchill for dinner and checking into our room where our luggage was already waiting on us. During the tour, many of the guides were telling us that the skies were clear this evening, a rare sight this time of year, and we should not miss seeing the Northern Lights. When we were at the Hotel the people there kept saying “It’s clear tonight you have to see the Northern lights” Alrighty then let’s see the Northern Lights. There is one problem with this. You are given strict and clear warnings about walking the streets of Churchill at night. There is an above-average chance you may encounter a Polar Bear. I know in theory that’s why we came to Churchill was to see Polar Bears but we want to see them from the safety of the Tundra Buggy not while we are on foot. For many of us that live in other regions of the world, this is something we don’t have to think about on our nightly jog.

Because of the threat of encountering a starving Polar Bear at any time of the day. The residents of Churchill leave their doors unlocked on their cars and houses just in case a pedestrian needs quick cover. After careful thought and consideration and knowing the risks decided to go for it. I will tell you I walked next to every car possible just in case. When we walked down to the water’s edge the Northern Lights were on display. This is one of the most visually stunning sights you will ever see. If you have seen them before you know what I mean If you haven’t, you should.

Picture of the Northern Lights. I know you have seen internet images of the Northern lights streaming across the sky in a rainbow of colors and I promise you our view of the Northern Lights was just like that.  However, I am not a photographer and this picture is an insult to how beautiful the Northern Lights are. No matter what camera setting I tried or how many pics I took I couldn’t get an epic shot of the Northern Lights but my eyes saw it and that’s all that matters.

I promise this is what it looked like through my eyes. It really is a beautiful sight.

The next day Frontiers North got us out on the Bay bright and early for a full day of arctic wildlife viewing. Before we even made it out to the Tundra Buggy we bumped into a Mom and her baby cub crossing a frozen lake against the gloomy backdrop of the arctic. I love this picture.

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WANT TO KNOW WHAT TO PACK WHEN YOU GO ON A POLAR BEAR SAFARI? CLICK HERE FOR A PACK LIST

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Shortly thereafter the skies were clear enough for us to see the beautiful sun rising over the Hudson Bay.

After that, we ran into another Mom and cub. They seemed to not be bothered by our gawking and presence so the tour driver decided to park the buggy right there and let us eat our lunch with one of the most amazing views you could have.

I mean look at the face on that bear cub. How adorable! That face makes you want to jump out of the buggy and go hug it but that probably would end badly for you

Next up was this interesting fellow the locals nicknamed “Cino”. Cino is short for Al Pachino who famously played Tony Montana in the iconic film Scarface. If you look real close Cino has a deep gash on the side of his face running along his snout. I managed to get a few up-close shots and I will tell you that gash goes all the way down to the bone. This was probably the result of a fight with another Polar Bear but nobody knows for sure. None the less Cino is a regular around Churchill and he loves the attention.

Chino is not just a hit with the locals and tourists because of his distinct appearance he is also an inquisitive fellow willing to put on a show for everyone to see. Here he is climbing on our Tundra Buggies, posing for photos, and having a good time.

After Cino we drove deeper into Hudson Bay seeing more and more Polar Bears. Most were either snooping around or sleeping but we eventually ran into these two male Polar Bears honing their fighting skills on each other. Polar Bears will often spar and wrestle with one another to keep their skills sharp for when the real battle comes along, much like a professional boxer would. Even though these two were just play fighting they were literally shaking the earth beneath us. If this is a practice fight, I could only imagine how intense a real fight would be. I guess this would explain the deep gash on Cinos face. Even though Polar Bears are so adorable looking they can be downright vicious. When male Polar Bears engage in combat over territories, food, and mating, they will often fight until one retreats or dies. There are no rules or referees out here on the Tundra.

By that time, we worked our way back to the shuttle bus and headed straight to the airport and flew back to Winnipeg. I should mention that the tour company will check you out of your hotel and take your bags to the airport and load them on your charter plane for you.
All in all, I had an amazing time visiting the town of Churchill and seeing my favorite animal roaming free in the wild. I had lunch next to a momma bear and her cub, met a local bear legend who climbed on our Tundra Buggy, and witnessed two monsters of the artic wrestling in the snow. Frontiers North provided us a great tour with a plethora of Polar Bear sightings, an on board-certified Polar Bear researcher who answered questions about Polar Bears and their habitats, and plenty of food and stories. It is very hard to beat the value of a tour like this.

If I could do it again, I would like to spend more time there. The arctic is a beautiful place and there are so many other wildlife species there to see like the arctic hare and the arctic fox which we didn’t get a chance to see. You can also visit Churchill in the summer months as well were Polar Bears can still be seen plus you can see the Beluga whales.
They keep you very busy on this tour making sure you see as many Polar Bears as possible. In that area, they do not disappoint. I had such a good time though I wish I could have moved at a slower pace and took in more of the arctic. However, if your goal is to see Polar Bears in the wild and a lot of them, go to Churchill. I guarantee you will see them.

Fast Facts about Polar Bears

• Prime viewing times for Polar Bears are in October and November when the bears begin their move from their summer habitat on the tundra back to the seal-hunting territory – the pack ice that forms every winter over Hudson Bay.
• Male polar bears can weigh up to 800kg, and are twice the size of females. This, in addition to the fact that they can measure up to 3 meters long, makes polar bears the largest land carnivore in the world.
• Polar Bears can reach speeds of up to 6mph in the water, polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another. Their large paws are specially adapted for swimming, which they’ll use to paddle through the water while holding their hind legs flat like a rudder.
• Although about half of a polar bear’s life is spent hunting for food, their hunts are rarely successful. Polar bears main prey consists of ringed seals and bearded seals, though they will also scavenge carcasses or settle for small mammals, birds, eggs and vegetation.
• As recently as 2006 genetic testing confirmed the existence of polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids, also known as ‘grolar bears’ or ‘pizzly bears’. The hybrid physically resembles an intermediate between the two species, but as wild hybrids are usually birthed from polar bear mothers they are raised and behave like polar bears. The ability for polar bears and grizzly bears to interbreed is unsurprising when you consider that polar bears evolved from brown bears as recently as 150,000 years ago!