Behind the Scenes with Polar Bears

Arrive in Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital, and transfer to the historic Fort Garry Hotel downtown. 

Built in 1913 for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, the Fort Garry recalls the era when grand railway hotels welcomed travelers across Canada. Its downtown setting provides a comfortable starting point before tomorrow’s flight north. 

Meet your Expedition Leader and fellow travelers over a welcome dinner this evening. Discuss the week ahead, from polar bear encounters on the tundra to time with scientists investigating life along Hudson Bay. 

You’ll also visit the gear room to borrow a heavy parka and winter boots for use during your stay in Churchill. 

Fly north to Churchill, a remote community on the Hudson Bay coast reached by air or rail. Known as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World,” Churchill sits beside a seasonal gathering place for bears that come ashore when the bay’s ice melts. Each autumn, they congregate along the coast, waiting for freeze-up to restore access to their seal-hunting grounds. This concentration of wild bears near a community offers unusual opportunities to observe and study them. 

Transfer to your hotel in town, your base for the next four nights. Meet the research team to discuss their work, the questions guiding it and the safety practices that govern field activities. 

Time exploring Churchill introduces the human side of this shared coastline. Over the coming days, residents will offer their perspectives on living and working alongside one of the world’s largest predators. 

The next three days combine time on the tundra with access to scientists and the research taking place around western Hudson Bay. Aboard a specialized Polar Rover, cross rugged terrain in search of bears and other wildlife. The heated vehicle provides a window seat for every guest, with room to watch and photograph. When bears are present, spend time observing their activity while researchers interpret what you see. 

A bear resting on land or moving toward the coast is living through a season governed by ice. Researchers connect these encounters with their investigations into behavior, habitat use and the conditions that influence the bears’ access to food. Their perspectives give each sighting a scientific context, with time to ask questions and discuss what remains unknown. 

Field activities are being developed with lead scientists to introduce their ongoing work. These experiences will reflect the research program and conditions during your visit. 

At the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, explore the wider environment that sustains the bears. The facility supports research into wildlife, vegetation, marine ecosystems, climate and changing tundra and ice conditions. Its location where boreal forest, tundra and coastal waters meet makes it a valuable base for investigating connections among them. 

Return to your hotel each evening. Presentations by scientists or community members offer a chance to pursue questions raised during the day and hear from people whose knowledge comes from years in the region. If skies, auroral activity and scheduling align, an optional outing to a local viewing area offers a chance to watch for the northern lights. Weather, seasonal conditions and bear movements guide the order of activities throughout your stay. 

Spend your final morning in Churchill with a local musher for a dog-sledding experience. Heading out with a team of dogs offers another way to experience the northern landscape and meet someone whose work draws on this enduring form of travel. 

At the Itsanitaq Museum, Inuit carvings and artifacts introduce artistic traditions, history and daily life across the North. Take time to examine the collection, adding a human perspective to the landscapes and wildlife you’ve encountered. After lunch, transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Winnipeg. Return to the Fort Garry Hotel and gather for a farewell dinner, sharing photographs and discoveries from your time on Hudson Bay. 

Leave with firsthand experience of Churchill’s autumn polar bear gathering and an informed understanding of the research behind their conservation. Time on the tundra and conversations with scientists and residents give lasting depth to your encounters on Hudson Bay.  After breakfast, transfer to Winnipeg’s airport for your flight home.