Every autumn, a large number of polar bears gather on the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for the ice to form, impatiently milling about like passengers stranded at an airport. Many of them end up in the Cape Churchill area, about 25km from the northern town of Churchill. As soon as it freezes they'll leave the frozen tundra and move out onto the ice to hunt seals in open leads and at the floe edges. But until they go back to their solitary ways, it is possible for groups of people, protected by specially designed all-terrain vehicles, to get safely within a few metres of these mammoth white creatures.

Polar Bears of Churchill: Wildlife at the Edge of the Arctic

Itinerary

(Breakfast - B, Lunch - L, Dinner - D)


Day 1 
Arrive Churchill / Explore Churchill
We plan to leave Winnipeg on the early flight.  On arrival in Churchill, we will go straight out to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, have an orientation tour of the Centre, and go over our plans for the trip.  In the afternoon, we’ll explore the town site and local area by bus.  We plan to visit the Eskimo Museum, which contains one of the finest collections available of Inuit sculptures from the Hudson Bay communities.  We’ll also drop into Parks Canada and examine its fine historical displays.  Cape Merry, a rock promontory at the mouth of the Churchill River, is always worth a visit and, directly across from it, separated by the grey, white-capped waters, lays historic Fort Prince of Wales.
o/n Churchill Northern Studies Centre (L, D)

Day 2 
Tundra Buggy / Polar Bears
Breakfast is served at 7:00 a.m. in the dining room, after which we’ll make up our own lunches from the selection of sandwich fillings and condiments set out for us.  Our leader will be taking a hot thermos of homemade soup to make sure no-one goes hungry or gets cold.

At 8:15 a.m. the Tundra Buggy will pick us up at the Centre and take us out on to the tundra in search of Polar Bears.  There is lots of space on board the Tundra Buggy, which towers over 4 m above the ground.  A washroom is located at the back, and a warm stove keeps the interior of the buggy warm most of the time.  Since there is a rear open observation deck, and the windows do open fully for photographers and observers, the buggy can get cold quite quickly.  Warm, layered winter clothing is the order of the day.  Cape Churchill is a sub-arctic region with underlying permafrost covered by wet and dry tundra and layers of mosses and lichens.  At this time of the year, dustings of snow cover the vegetation, most of the ponds are frozen solid, and the waters of Hudson Bay, lapping at the shoreline, are icing over.

Although Polar Bears will be our primary objective while in the Tundra Buggy, and we do hope to see many of them, we’ll also be on the lookout for other sub-arctic wildlife.  On our many previous tours, we have observed numerous Arctic Fox in their white pelage as they hunted for food, Common Eiders rocking on the wind-swept waters of the Bay, Willow Ptarmigan in their incredibly effective camouflage of white feathers, Glaucous Gulls wheeling overhead in the fierce winds, and many resident Ravens.  There is never a dull moment!

We’ll return to the Studies Centre at about 4:30 p.m. for a social hour, compliments of Quest, where we can relive the day’s events over drinks and snacks.
o/n Churchill Northern Studies Centre (B, L, D)

Day 3
Boreal Forest / Dog Sledding
Our program today will depend on weather and road conditions. Our leaders will decide on the program based on the conditions. Some of the activities may include a leisurely drive along the tundra with frequent stops to walk around and explore the vegetation and geological formations. Here the tundra becomes thinly interspersed with the occasional Black Spruce tree, and quickly leads into numerous Black and White Spruce groves. These eventually turn into the true boreal forest.  At this point, we’ll walk along some of the easier trails looking for birds and evidence of wildlife of the boreal forest if snow conditions permit.

Dave Daley, local dog team racer, will teach us about the many aspects of dog mushing, introduce us to his family of sled dogs, and then take us on an exhilarating sled ride behind his strong team of husky-cross racers. Past participants always consider this a highlight, even if snow conditions dictate that the "sleds" are on wheels. As we will be taking turns on the dogsleds, there may be an opportunity for optional helicopter flights along the Hudson Bay coast. Many of our tour members have taken this flight and reported back with some exciting stories. Please enquire for prices of this option.
o/n Churchill Northern Studies Centre (B, L, D)

Day 4 
Tundra Buggy  / Polar Bears
This will be a repeat of Day 2.
o/n Churchill Northern Studies Centre (B, L, D)

Day 5 
 Flights Home
After breakfast, we’ll strip our beds, pack, and transfer to the airport for the flight home. (B)