By admin 
We always thought that you simply simply wanted to see the polar bears inside the winter. We had visions of big glassed-in buggies crossing the white tundra panorama full of oldsters in search of the good polar bear. We not at all thought-about strolling with polar bears.
All people is conscious of that the polar bear is a dangerous bear and certainly one of many few animals on earth that has actually been acknowledged to stalk folks. In numerous phrases, you could keep away from polar bears, correct? So after we heard we’d be strolling with Polar Bears on our safari with Nanuk Lodge near Churchill, Manitoba we’ve been intrigued, to say the least.
Strolling With Polar Bears in Churchill Manitoba
We met our group on the Winnipeg Airport the place we spent the night time time on the linked Grand Winnipeg Airport Resort sooner than an early morning flight to Churchill, Manitoba. Our journey was taking us to a distant space of the Canadian Province the place we flew proper right into a lonely, nonetheless stunning lodge on the Hudson Bay.
Flying to see the Polar Bears
The journey took us on a flight in a small cargo plane after which one different on a tiny twin otter to a dusty airstrip in the middle of nowhere. There wasn’t an oz. of civilization for 100 miles. We’ve got been in the middle of the Arctic Tundra surrounded by nothing nonetheless an entire bunch of polar bears, black bears, wolves, and moose.
After we arrived on the lodge, we’ve been immediately escorted to our fenced-in compound and given a hearty lunch with scorching tea sooner than heading out on our particularly designed rhino autos in search of polar bears.
Churchill Wild has been working polar bear excursions for 25 years and is the chief in Polar Bear expeditions. Nanuk Lodge is their newest lodge and presumably their most fascinating tour. Our time on the tundra consisted of a mix of driving safaris and strolling safaris, making for the right combination of journey and leisure.
Polar Bear Safari Video
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for further weekly journey films
Safety For Strolling with Polar Bears
Sooner than venturing out previous the fences, our data Andy talked about all safety procedures. It was essential that we adopted his instructions and listened to his directions after we’ve been out inside the Canadian wild.
When strolling with polar bears, you don’t want to make any unsuitable strikes. The Churchill Wild guides are consultants and saved us safe nonetheless it’s important to watch their pointers and take heed to what they wanted to say.
Polar Bear Safety
We minimize up up into two autos with one group going with Andy and the alternative with our data Albert. Each data was armed with a shotgun and handgun. Nonetheless further importantly, that they’d plenty of strategy of scaring off a polar bear sooner than having to take any deadly energy.
They’d polar bear distractions known as bangers and screamers that make loud noises and shoot streams of colour when aimed at a polar bear. Should a bear develop to be hostile, these devices would most likely scare them off with out having to shoot precise bullets.
Our guides have been moreover armed with bear spray, which Andy talked about he has not at all needed to make use of. He and Albert as a substitute rely upon their data of bear habits.
The precautions they took whereas approaching any animal inside the wild made everyone actually really feel relaxed. Andy knowledgeable us that he’d been guiding for years and has not at all as quickly as wanted to shoot his gun and has hardly needed to make use of the screamers or bangers.
We’ve got been in any case on the animal’s turf and any deadly energy must solely be as a ultimate resort. None of us have been planning on upsetting a polar bear to assault.
On an Arctic Safari
Most of our three days at Nanuk Lodge have been spent out on the coast of the Hudson Bay in search of polar bears after which strolling with polar bears. The lodge was outfitted with binoculars and scopes the place the workers saved a relentless lookout for polar bears out inside the distance.
It was late summer season season and the right time to establish polar bears on the coastal space of Manitoba. Nanuk Lodge is positioned smack dab in the middle of a denning area for polar bears the place mothers and cubs spend their summers.
Each morning, our guides had a clear considered which suggests they may head in search of bears. It wasn’t prolonged sooner than we got here throughout a mother and her cub stress-free on the coast.
All through our flight out to the lodge, we seen a minimal of a dozen bears strolling and thru our safari, we seen 4 polar bears at shut proximity all through our strolling safaris with a minimal of 1 different half a dozen inside the distance. It was actually mesmerizing.
The Polar Bear Safari
We set out daily on our Arctic rhinos inside the path of the ultimate polar bear recognizing and at last seen what we’ve been looking out for on the horizon. Andy and Albert would then drive within the path of the bear until we reached shut ample to start out out a hike within the path of it.
After we obtained out of the rhinos, we had strict instructions to walk in single file and to steer clear of making sudden actions or noise. Plus we wanted to maintain behind Andy at all times whereas Albert saved a lookout inside the once more.
It was thrilling to walk all through the tundra by the use of streams and hard terrain. We seen wolf and moose tracks along with the massive polar bear tracks. We’d not have always seen the wildlife that surrounded us, nonetheless it was all really there.
The polar bears knew we’ve been coming, they may sense us and they also took uncover. Nonetheless for in all probability probably the most half, they didn’t bother with us. They went about their day-to-day enterprise of sleeping or swimming inside the sea as we watched on from 50 to 100 metres away.
Polar bears are crucial carnivores on earth and to see them together with your particular person two eyes as you stand uncovered on the stark Canadian panorama, makes you discover merely how small and prone we’re as human beings.
These creatures are on the prime of the meals chain, nonetheless even if they’re enormous, if you find yourself standing in a bunch at a safe distance with educated guides, you presumably can actually acknowledge their magnificence.
We not at all felt frightened or nervous. We had full perception inside the expertise and experience of Albert and Andy.
When one customer requested if we’d go nearer to the bears, Andy firmly replied. “This could be a distance I actually really feel safe at. We obtained’t be strolling any extra.” Polar bears switch fast and they also is likely to be at our location in a heartbeat.
I felt safer watching from afar and I think about a safari is about putting as little impression on wildlife as attainable. Farther away will also be a lot much less anxious for them.
We’d watch the bears for hours and we continuously did. Nonetheless driving alongside the tundra was merely as thrilling as seeing the polar bears.
Totally different Points to See on our Polar Bear Safari
We appeared for and ate current strawberries, visited a shipwreck on the shore and even spied a bull moose in the middle of the bush for one minimize up second.
We obtained caught inside the deep mud and we explored quite a few miles alongside the coast as Albert knowledgeable us tales of his life rising up as a Cree in North America’s First Nations. He knew this land identical to the once more of his hand.
The Arctic is his home. I’d take heed to Albert talk about for hours.
Inside Nanuk Lodge
We weren’t outside 24 hours a day though. The Nanuk Lodge is a comfortable and cozy lodge with wood-burning stoves, an excellent chef and kitchen workers getting ready three meals a day.
Our evenings on the lodge have been as informative as they’ve been entertaining. They positioned on exhibits to keep up us occupied at night time time as we sipped wine by the fireplace. Andy talked to us one different night time about polar bear habitat and worldwide warming.
While we sat inside, we’ve been dealt with to wildlife encounters. Black bears circled our compound foraging for berries and having heated standoffs with one another as they claimed their turf.
We even had a giant black wolf stop by to say hello there. We would have liked to maintain contained within the fence, nonetheless we’d go outside and watch them from just a few toes away as they peeked in our path from time to time to see what we’ve been as a lot as.
Northern Lights
At night time time one different current started. May people go to Canada’s North to see the Northern Lights. The workers retains a lookout for the Aurora Borealis and in the event that they’re energetic, you’ll get a rise up identify with a knock in your door.
We’ve got been up at 2 am watching the lights dance inside the sky. We had solely seen the Northern Lights one totally different time in Greenland and this was a highlight for us to actually witness the dancing hues of inexperienced and magenta on our private soil.
We’d have merely slept by the use of the present, nonetheless due to Churchill Wild, we seen all of it unfold sooner than our eyes.
Visiting Nanuk Lodge to walk with polar bears was actually a magical experience. It stroke a chord in my memory of an African Safari, solely with fully totally different majestic animals and cooler temperatures.
Whereas the prime viewing events are October and November for polar bears in Churchill, late August and September present the choice to experience Polar Bears reminiscent of you not at all thought attainable.
You don’t have to take a seat down behind the glass of a tundra vehicle to snap {a photograph} of them inside the snow, as a substitute, you presumably can stroll correct as a lot as them inside solely 100 or so toes and see them surrounded by the layered colours of summer season season on Hudson Bay.
Each means ,you identify to see polar bears, you obtained’t be disillusioned. They’re actually a few of the spectacular creatures on earth. To walk with polar bears is a dream come true and one factor we advocate everyone do!
Uncover out further about polar safaris at Churchill Wild.
Be taught Additional