Polar Bear Adventures

The Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA) is a vast, provincially protected stretch of wilderness along the coast of Hudson Bay that preserves critical habitat for the Western Hudson Bay polar bear sub-population. During the autumn polar bear season, hundreds of bears congregate here on the tundra, waiting for the sea ice to freeze so they can return to hunting seals.

As protecting this fragile ecosystem and its wildlife is a top priority, access to the area is strictly regulated by the government. Frontiers North Adventures is one of only two tour operators with commercial permits to navigate specialized vehicles, Tundra Buggies®, over the CWMA's established trail network. Out of the 18 total permits issued for this highly restricted area, Frontiers North Adventures owns 12.

This majority access provides our guests with exclusive, unmatched advantages:

• Full-Day Polar Bear Viewing: We guarantee that every Tundra Buggy excursion is a full day of polar bear viewing. We never compromise by splitting our tours into morning or afternoon half-days, ensuring you truly maximize your time observing wildlife in their natural habitat.

• The Tundra Buggy Lodge: a special accommodation located deep within the CWMA at Polar Bear Point. Staying at the lodge eliminates daily commute times to and from town, granting guests even more time on the tundra viewing Subarctic wildlife. It also provides the extraordinary opportunity to watch wild polar bears out the window while eating, relaxing, or even when waking up in the morning.

As a special part of our ongoing conservation partnership with Polar Bears International (PBI), we dedicate one of our exclusive permits and a specialized vehicle—EV Tundra Buggy One—entirely to their team. Custom-built as a mobile broadcast studio and laboratory, this zero-emission buggy hosts vital field research and streams live footage of wild polar bears to the world, helping to advance education and global conservation efforts.

Yes, absolutely! Frontiers North Adventures are proud partners of Polar Bears International (PBI), and wildlife education is a core part of our guest experience. We want you to leave not only with unforgettable memories but with a deeper understanding of polar bear research, climate change, and ongoing conservation efforts.

Depending on your specific itinerary, here are the ways you might connect with PBI and learn about their vital work:

• PBI Field Ambassadors on the Tundra: Throughout polar bear season, PBI Field Ambassadors—who are often active field researchers, animal caregivers, or wildlife educators— join our guests aboard their Tundra Buggy®. They ride alongside you, complementing our guides’ expertise by sharing in-depth, real-time knowledge about polar bear biology and current research projects.

• Visits to the Polar Bears International House: Guests on our town-based tours visit the Polar Bears International House in Churchill. This state-of-the-art interpretive center serves as a hub for visiting scientists and the community. Your visit will include an engaging presentation from a PBI representative about polar bears and the critical importance of Arctic sea ice.

• Evening Chats at the Tundra Buggy Lodge: If your adventure includes a stay at our remote Tundra Buggy Lodge, you will have the unique opportunity to dine and mingle with PBI scientists. These experts stay overnight on the tundra with us and host exclusive evening presentations for our guests, providing in-depth insights into ongoing research in the field.

• Specialized Conservation Tours: For those looking for the ultimate immersive educational experience, our Conservation Journey®: Polar Bears itinerary allows you to travel alongside a leading polar bear scientist for the duration of your trip, with a portion of your ticket directly supporting PBI's conservation initiatives.

---

 

The Tundra Buggy is the original vehicle for subarctic exploration. Initially designed and custom-engineered in Churchill in 1979 to safely tour the surrounding subarctic terrain and view wild polar bears. Today, these purpose-built, all-terrain vehicles have evolved in many ways for guests to view wild polar bears and subarctic wildlife safely and comfortably. Operated exclusively by Frontiers North Adventures, these vehicles, standing over 13 feet tall, are equipped with massive tundra tires that glide over snow drifts, ice, and small streams with minimal impact on the fragile ecosystem. Their immense height also keeps you responsibly out of reach of polar bears, ensuring both guest and wildlife safety at all times.

A day on a Tundra Buggy is a full-day, immersive wildlife safari. While the Subarctic weather outside can be fierce, the environment inside the buggy is designed for maximum comfort and unparalleled viewing:

• Spacious & Uncrowded Viewing: While a standard touring Tundra Buggy can comfortably seat 40 passengers, all of Frontiers North's package tours have a maximum capacity of 22 guests or less. This guarantees that every guest has their own window, along with plenty of extra room for day bags, camera gear, and shedding cold-weather layers. It also ensures you have ample space to move around the cabin for the perfect vantage point when the vehicle is stopped.

• Climate Control & Facilities: Every Tundra Buggy is equipped with a heating system to keep the cabin warm and comfortable, no matter the weather outside. For your convenience, there is also a private, flushable washroom on board every vehicle.

• Open-Air Observation Deck: At the rear of the vehicle is an outdoor, open-air viewing platform with a metal grate floor. This allows you to safely step outside, feel the crisp Hudson Bay air, and photograph polar bears at every angle, even right below your feet!

• Expert Guidance: You will be accompanied by a highly trained Interpretive Guide and a skilled driver, and sometimes a Polar Bears International expert. All capable of sharing deep insights and incredible stories of polar bear biology, the local ecosystem, and Churchill’s history.

• Meals on Board: There’s no need to head back to town for lunch; a hearty picnic-style meal, complete with hot soup and a variety of hot beverages, is served right on the buggy so you never miss a moment of wildlife action.

• The EV Experience: As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are actively converting our fleet to Electric Vehicle (EV) Tundra Buggies. If you are on an EV Tundra Buggy, you will enjoy a virtually silent, zero-emission ride, allowing you to effortlessly hear your guide, fellow travellers and of course the natural sounds of the tundra without the disruptive sound of a diesel engine.