During the same time frame there is another type of migration---the human kind. Thousands of tourists, burdened with camera gear, flock to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to witness this yearly migration and photograph these magnificent creatures.
Several years ago, on my first Antarctic trip, I met Dr. Carol Walton, a zodiac driver, naturalist guide, a veterinarian by vocation and an adventure traveler by avocation. We became fast friends and over the years Carol and I have worked to put together some fabulous trips: the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon in Ecuador, the Wonders of Southern Africa and this past year, On Safari in Botswana. When Carol asked if I would like to take a group to Canada’s far north for the annual Polar Bear migration, I jumped at the chance. Joining me on this trip were several fellow Redlanders, Tom and Kay Dobbertin, Monique Dobbertin, Sheron Bealer Mike and Donna Hammer and Janet Langfried. We all flew up to meet the rest of Carol’s group in Winnipeg, before heading north to Churchill.
Though we had very little time in Winnipeg, we did go downtown to explore the city. With only a half a day to see the city I was impressed with how much there was to do and see: museums, sports facilities (Canadians are big time ice hockey and soccer fans), theaters, lots of restaurants and great shopping. It’s definitely a starting off point, any time of the year, if you’re into birding, whale watching, arctic survival programs, astronomy (a great place to see the Northern Lights) and Polar Bear watching.
We met up with the rest of our group, several “Brits” from London and a small group from the Chicago area, for a welcome dinner at the hotel. The next morning, bright and early, we headed for the airport for our chartered flight to Churchill, Manitoba, the polar bear capital of the world.
The best way to describe Churchill is quaint. A “city” of 900 year round residents explodes to over 10,000 inhabitants for six-weeks from mid-October to November, during the Polar bear migration. Everyone, including the Polar Bears, is waiting for the same thing, for Hudson Bay to freeze over. From mid-October to mid-November, every resource in Churchill is geared toward the tourist. Hotels and restaurants are booked to capacity.
We arrived in Churchill in late morning and boarded a bus for a city and area tour, which took approximately five minutes. I am being facetious. Our first stop was the “Polar Bear Jail.” If someone spots a Polar Bear in Churchill, they call a special Polar Bear Alert phone number. People from the Ministry of Natural Resources then trap the bear in a special cage, or anesthetize the bear. The bear is then taken to “jail,” until ice forms on Hudson Bay (the “jail” is actually a large compound with 23 separate cells). When the Bay freezes, the bears are air-evacuated out and released so they can do what bears do: go hunt seals. It sound harsh, but it’s better than being shot!!
After an early breakfast the following morning, we journeyed by bus to the Tundra Buggy departure station. The best way I can describe a Tundra Buggy is an overgrown school bus with large windows and huge, oversized tires that keeps us high over the tundra for better animal viewing. The Tundra Buggy can accommodate 44 people, but for maximum animal viewing and photo opportunities, only 22 are in the group. It was really quite cozy. There is plenty of room to walk around and there is even a bathroom and a heater for basic creature comforts. Lunch is served in the buggy. There is also an observation deck off the back of the buggy.
Off we went in search of our first polar bears. We didn’t have long to wait.
By mid-October, the bears are hungry since they have not eaten for several months. They are congregating on the shores of Hudson Bay near Cape Churchill, where the ice forms early, and their mouths are watering for that first taste of ringed-seal pup.
Our first sighting was a mother bear with a second year cub. Cameras clicked away. The bears wandered right up to the buggy, curious at all the commotion.
It was amazing. Polar bears are really majestic creatures. I can understand why they are called “Lords of the Arctic.”
They are the world’s largest land predator: male bears can weigh from 800 to more than 1500 pounds and stand from six to ten feet long. Females are considerably smaller, weighing from350 to 500 pounds and measure five to eight feet long.
Our first day out on the tundra was amazing. We saw over 33 bears that first day along with several spring hare and a beautiful arctic fox. It’s hard to believe the Polar Bears haven’t eaten in several months. I can only imagine how much larger they would be in March, with three or four inches of fat packed on their bodies from a steady diet of ringed-seals.
Tracking Polar Bears is similar to tracking lions or Wild Dogs in Africa, only the vehicles are much larger. The Tundra Buggys are incredible. They maneuver easily through mud, snow or several feet of water. They can literally go everywhere at a crawling pace. I tried driving our Tundra Buggy for a few feet, it’s like driving a truck, without power steering.
The following morning we were up early and headed out to the Northern Studies Center for a presentation on dog sledding by John Stetson. Having traveled over 60,000 miles with his team of huskies, he is one of the best-known dog team drivers in North America. Mr. Stetson presented a slide show and shared with us some of his exploits in the Artic and Antarctic regions. His photos were stunning and truly reflect the isolation and bitter cold out on the tundra.
We then bundled up and headed outside to meet his “family” of sled dogs. The dogs were so excited, jumping up and down and rearing to go. The sleds, which were designed for sled rides rather than for actual racing out on the tundra, were on wheels. There are two types of huskies used for sledding: the smaller racing dogs who wear little booties to protect their feet and the bigger Inuit dogs. Neither type look like the blue-eyed Siberian husky we usually associate with Alaska and dog sledding. These are working dogs. After our sled ride we spent time with the dogs before heading back to Churchill.
In the afternoon, we met back at the local community center for a presentation by Myrtle de Meulles, an elderly Metis woman who grew up as a fur trader’s daughter. The stories of her childhood were fascinating. They sound more like stories from the early 1800’s, than the mid-1900s.
It finally started to snow on our second day in the Tundra Buggy. The polar bears were delighted. They seem to know it wouldn’t be much longer before Hudson Bay froze, and food was plentiful. They definitely were more active and several of the larger males began to “playfight.” As silly as that may sound, male bears get restless and will find other male bears to “spar” with. It’s fascinating to watch.
According to our guide, Carol Walton, fights usually start when one bear ambles over and signals his intent with a lowered head, a nudge, or a bite. The two bears go face to face, they open their jaws wide, moving from side to side, sizing each other up. Soon the intensity builds. They wrestle, trying to wrap their massive paws around their opponent’s neck. When they both rise to their full height, standing on their back haunches, it really gets interesting. They shove and push and even try to tackle their opponent. This “playfighting” goes on for five or ten minutes, or until one of the bears gets tired of the game and wanders away. They rarely draw blood; it really is a game with them. Boys will be boys!!!!
Another theory on the playfighting is that it allows the bears to size up potential competitors they will encounter during the mating season. Come spring, female Polar Bears are ready to mate and male competition is often fierce. Driven by the scent produced by the female, male bears will track a potential mate for miles. Often more than one bear is tracking the same female. This is where the competition heats up and vicious battles between large male bears often result in scars, wounds, and broken bones. Not a pretty sight.
We spent the day on the tundra, watching the bears and enjoying the roughhousing. When a bear rears up, he really is a formidable opponent. Janet Landfried and I were standing on the outside viewing platform watching a curious bear below. All of a sudden he reared up and we were face to face. That was one scary moment. Janet got the picture; I was too shocked to remember to take a picture.
A word about the accommodations in Churchill. They are definitely not the Four Seasons or the Ritz Carlton. Most of the hotels/motels are a cross between Motel 6 and a Holiday Inn. From year to year they rotate accommodations with the different tour operators. Almost everything is sold out months in advance. It would be difficult to go on your own, without being part of a group. Also, if you are planning a trip up north, make sure meals are included since there are not a lot of restaurants and most are fully booked with tour groups.
The trip was fabulous. I have an entire new respect for these beautiful creatures of the far north. They lead a harsh life, and with evidence of global warming, it’s going to get even more difficult. Over the past several years the Bay has frozen over a few days to a week later and thawed earlier. The bears are loosing valuable feeding time to build up their fat reserve that they desperately need during the spring and summer months. Several research projects pertaining to global warming and its effect on the bears of Churchill are ongoing.
I was sad we were leaving Churchill, and the polar bears. It had been a wonderful trip and seeing polar bears in their natural environment is definitely worth the trip to Canada’s far north.
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