Subarctic Discovery: Churchill Polar Bears

Day 01

Welcome

I arrived at my hotel for the night, I am so excited to go on my Subarctic Discovery: Churchill Polar Bear tour.

After checking in, I headed to an evening meet and greet held by our Interpretive Guide. This gave our group the chance to ask last minute questions and learn more about what our adventure holds. I am happy I booked a Frontiers North adventure, our Interpretive Guide is very knowledgeable.

Day 02

Churchill Adventure Begins

Today's the day! We board our early morning flight to Churchill, Manitoba. Upon arrival, we are accompanied into town by a driver who points out various places of interest in and surrounding Churchill. Our driver stopped briefly at the Polar Bear Holding Facility (better known as the Polar Bear Jail) so we could get out and take photos. We take a break for lunch and enjoy a warm, home-cooked meal at one of Churchill’s family-run restaurants – who knew Churchill had such incredible food?

After lunch, we head over to the Parks Canada Visitor Centre, which has in-depth displays that reveal the remarkable history of Churchill through wildlife dioramas and exhibits that portray the history of the fur trade in the area.

Next we pay a visit to Polar Bears International House, where we receive a short talk from a Polar Bears International Ambassador who teaches us about polar bears around the world, polar bear research, climate change and more. We also tour the Interpretive Centre and learn how to support polar bear conservation efforts.

We stop at our hotel where we have a chance to freshen up before enjoying a wonderful dinner with our group. What an incredible first day in Churchill!

Photo © Madeline Grant

Day 03

Tundra Buggy Adventure

Today we get to go on a Tundra Buggy adventure! I made sure to bring my sealable, reusable travel mug with me after reading this blog. After breakfast our group is picked up right from our hotel and transferred out to the Tundra Buggy Dock where we board our Tundra Buggy. After a safety speech from our Tundra Buggy Driver, we hit the trails and travel into the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA)!

Our Tundra Buggy Driver navigates the bumpy trails of the CWMA in search of polar bears and other subarctic wildlife while a guide shares interesting facts about the area’s geology and history. We enjoy a delicious picnic lunch right on the Tundra Buggy as we watch and photograph the tundra landscape.

At the end of an incredible day on the tundra, we return to town for a warm dinner with our group, a great opportunity to share photos and swap stories about what we saw on our exciting adventure!

Photo © Jessica Burtnick

Day 04

Last Day in Churchill

Today is our last day on the Tundra Buggy and we excitedly set out right away to search for polar bears.

It is another great day on the tundra, full of extraordinary wildlife and many chances to get great photos. It’s been a successful day and our entire group celebrates our amazing luck to have been able to see polar bears in the wild.

As our day comes to an end, so does our time in Churchill. We are transferred back to the Churchill airport for our return flight. When we arrive we check back in to our hotel. The night is ours to do as we wish, which gives me a lot of time to look over all the photos I took!

Photo © Robert Taylor

Day 05

Depart

I wake up happy, thinking back on my wonderful polar bear adventure. What an amazing experience! Today I check out of my hotel and head home, ready to share my adventures with family and friends.