FALL POLAR BEAR TRIPS TO HUDSON BAY

VALUE PRICED FROM $1,795 WITH AIR FROM U.S.

CHURCHILL, MANITOBA, CANADA –Welcome to the kingdom of the polar bear—also known as Churchill, Manitoba, tucked into the western shore of Hudson Bay about 650 miles north of Winnipeg . Each fall, for about seven weeks, the shoreline is alive with huge polar bears, anxiously waiting for sea ice to form. Once the bay freezes over, hungry bears move out onto the ice where they will spend the winter months hunting seal.

It’s probably because polar bears look so irresistibly cuddly that they are so popular—and why tour packages to Churchill are in high demand.  Of course, in reality, polar bears are powerful and potentially dangerous wild animals that need to be viewed with caution. Adult males weigh as much as 1,500 pounds or more. Cows with cubs have been known to rear up and leap in attempts to ward off helicopters.

The ideal solution to close-up viewing is the “Tundra Buggy.” This specially designed vehicle permits visitors to get close enough to observe and photograph migrating bears. It accommodates 36 passengers, is heated and equipped with a washroom. Its 10-feet-diameter tires allow unparalleled and low-pressure access onto the fragile tundra. On board are an experienced naturalist guide and a driver well versed in local conditions and the best spots for photography.

You can watch and photograph these magnificent mammals from inside the buggy (its windows open and are well out of reach of even a polar bear standing on its hind legs) or from an outside viewing platform.

The Great Canadian Travel Company has been operating polar-bear observation tours to this area since 1980.  The current selection of packages (based on double occupancy), includes:

 “The Overnighter,” four days/three nights, CAN $2,485. With an extra day, you can spend time exploring (with a naturalist guide) the town of Churchill and surrounding area, including the Eskimo Museum and the Interpretive Centre (with time for shopping).  Includes round-trip airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill, two nights in Winnipeg, one in Churchill, plus one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner and services o! f a naturalist guide. October 20 or 30.

“The Polar Bear Experience,” seven days/six nights, CAN$3,740. This is the flagship Churchill tour that has been operating since 1982.  During that time, thousands of visitors from around the world have seen the bears and captured thousands of extraordinary images of these magnificent animals. Includes round-trip airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill, two nights’ hotel in Winnipeg, four nights in Churchill, plus airport/hotel transfers, breakfast daily, two lunches, two dinners and services of a naturalist guide. October 15, 16 or 23. Also available are optional do! g sledding and helicopter excursions.

“The Polar Bear Adventure,” six days/five nights, CAN$3,560. Ideal for those with a little less time, this tour provides one less night in Churchill. Includes round-trip airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill, two nights’ hotel in Winnipeg, three nights in Churchill, plus airport/hotel transfers, breakfast daily, two lunches, two dinners and services of a naturalist guide. October 7, 10 or 13, November 4, 6 or 9.

The two longer trips provide an opportunity to get to know Churchill as you discover this fascinating outpost of civilization at the edge of the frozen tundra and flat muskeg of Canada’s northern wilderness.  This land, home of the Inuit, is an outdoor lover’s paradise known for its variety of nesting shore birds, herds of foraging caribou and abundant snow geese and Canada geese.  Churchill is home of the Northern Studies Centre, one of the primary research stations for Arctic flora and fauna and of the phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis (the spectacular Northern Lights).           

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