Fire and ice at Dymond Lake Ecolodge. Nolan Plew photo.
The 2025 Great Ice Bear safari at Dymond Lake Ecolodge was our best ever! Polar bears were abundant throughout October and November, and Scarbrow made numerous appearances for the 17th time in 18 years. Now estimated to be 20 years old, this beautiful semi-resident bear walked alongside the guests just beyond the fence, and even engaged in some playful sparring with some much younger rivals, no doubt giving them a few tips!
When October arrives and the snow begins to fall across the sub-Arctic tundra, the transformation at Dymond Lake Ecolodge is profound. The landscape shifts from autumn browns to brilliant whites, and the ice begins its slow march across Hudson Bay. The location of Dymond Lake Ecolodge makes it one of the first places where the ice forms on Hudson Bay, and the bears know this. This is when the Great Ice Bear safari truly comes alive, and when polar bears emerge from their summer wanderings to reclaim their frozen domain.
Training bites. Dymond Lake Ecolodge. Nolan Plew photo
Nature delivered in spectacular fashion this year. From the first groups in late October through the final departures in early November, polar bears were abundant. Walking the tundra with our expert guides, guests encountered not just one or two bears, but had multiple sightings.
A LEGENDARY BEAR RETURNS
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The star of this season, as he has been for nearly two decades, was Scarbrow. This magnificent male has become something of a celebrity at Dymond Lake, returning year after year with the faithfulness of an old friend. At an estimated 20 years old, he’s reached an age where wisdom and experience show in every movement and interaction.
A good hold, but not a serious one. Nolan Plew photo.
Scarbrow treated guests to memorable performances. He walked the fence line, close enough that his breath misted in the cold air just feet from guests. His calm demeanour and apparent comfort around the lodge made him an extraordinary ambassador for his species, a wild bear who seems to understand the boundary between his world and ours.
But perhaps the most remarkable moments came when younger males ventured near the lodge. These encounters revealed Scarbrow’s status in the bear hierarchy. When a younger rival approached, the old master engaged in brief bouts of sparring, teaching moments disguised as tests of strength. The younger bears learned valuable lessons about respect and boundaries, while guests witnessed the complex social dynamics that govern polar bear society.
SCARBROW SPARRING ON INSTAGRAM
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FAMILY MATTERS
Among the many bears that graced Dymond Lake this season, one family in particular captured our hearts. A mother with two nearly grown cubs made multiple appearances throughout late October and early November, providing guests with intimate glimpses into polar bear family life. And this trio had a backstory.
A few months earlier, they had wandered into Churchill and spent time in the Polar Bear Holding Facility, which is affectionately known as “polar bear jail.” The green markings still visible on their backs told the story of their temporary confinement. But as guide Drew Pauls captured on video, they emerged from that experience healthy and thriving. A stay in polar bear jail doesn’t mean they’re bad bears. It’s simply a safe way to remind them that town isn’t where they should be.
The family’s appearances at the lodge were especially meaningful because this will likely be the cubs’ last year with their mother. Soon they’ll head out on their own, equipped with all the hunting and survival skills she’s taught them over two and a half years together. Watching them interact, the cubs still playful but increasingly independent, the mother patient but watchful, provided a masterclass in polar bear parenting.
THE DYMOND LAKE DIFFERENCE
What makes the Great Ice Bear safari so extraordinary isn’t just the abundance of bears, though that certainly helps. It’s the intimate nature of the experience, the ability to walk among these apex predators at ground level, guided by experts who read the tundra like others read books.
Face to face at Dymond Lake. Noan Plew photo.
“Dymond Lake Ecolodge is in a truly isolated place in the sub-Arctic tundra,” wrote RH, a guest from the UK, on Tripadvisor. “This was a fantastic experience and exceeded all expectations. On our first walk out with our amazing three guides (professional, knowledgeable and great communicators – people and bears alike!) we spotted a bear.
“We couldn’t believe the number of bears we encountered during our following walks on the tundra, some only metres away and one, Scarbrow, just the other side of our lodge fence! Every member of the Churchill Wild team was warm, friendly, professional, and nothing was too much trouble. The food at the lodge was excellent. But the bears were the stars… dreams were fulfilled. Absolutely highly recommended.”
The reviews reflect the exceptional quality of the season. Dymond Lake Ecolodge now boasts 100 five-star reviews on Tripadvisor and 10 five-star reviews on Google, a testament to both the wildlife encounters and the comprehensive Churchill Wild experience.
Steve Quinn from London, UK, summed up his experience with elegant simplicity on Tripadvisor. “Unbelievable experience – the staff, the guides, the accommodation, the food and of course the polar bear viewing was outstanding. This truly was a memorable trip.”
A deft move at Dymond Lake. Nolan Plew photo.
THE COMPLETE ARCTIC EXPERIENCE
The Great Ice Bear safari extends beyond Dymond Lake itself. After three nights at the lodge, guests return to Churchill for a full day of additional bear viewing from the elevated perspective of a Tundra Buggy®. This contrast in viewing styles, intimate ground-level walks followed by sweeping tundra vistas from the buggy, creates a comprehensive understanding of polar bear behaviour and habitat.
In Churchill, guests explore the town’s fascinating frontier history through visits to the Parks Canada Visitor Centre, the Itsanitaq Museum, and the famous Polar Bear Holding Facility. They see the SeaWalls murals that celebrate the community’s connection to Arctic wildlife. These cultural touchpoints ground the wildlife experience in human context, revealing how people and polar bears have learned to coexist in this remarkable corner of the world.
I’m not afraid of you! Nolan Plew photo.
Back at Dymond Lake Ecolodge each evening, after the excitement of tundra walks and bear encounters, guests gather around crackling fires to share stories and insights. The guides transform these moments into living seminars, discussing polar bear ecology, climate change impacts, and the intricate relationships that define Arctic ecosystems.
Canadian wines flow, gourmet meals based on our Blueberries & Polar Bears cookbook series emerge from the kitchen, and the aurora borealis often makes an appearance, visible from the dedicated viewing tower or, for the more adventurous, while lying on the snowy tundra wrapped in Arctic gear.
“The lodge was wonderful, beautiful surroundings,” wrote Kathryn Beck of Pennsylvania in her Google review. “ Surpassed my expectations for a lodge without road access! Staff was great!”
MEMORIES MADE
Memories that will last a lifetime were made at Dymond Lake Ecolodge. And many included Scarbow, seen in the background here. Nolan Plew photo.
One of the Great Ice Bear departures in late October was especially memorable.
Jeffrey Slusher of South Carolina mentioned at “appies” that this trip had exceeded expectations in every way and that they had a neighbour at home who previously went on a tundra buggy trip and discouraged them from going on this trip, saying that they wouldn’t see bears. He was excited about being able to share the incredible photos and videos they got with his friends.
Klaus and Manuela Burghard from Austria were thrilled to have seen so many polar bears at Dymond Lake after attempting to see them on two separate trips to Svalbard without success.
Scarbrow can look intimidating when he wants to. Nolan Plew photo.
“This is the best trip we have ever been on,” said New Yorker Karen Kornreich, who has been travelling “all over” with her friend Adele Garber for 56 years. Scott Niedringhaus from Colorado took some incredible photos, and Jo Sheppard from Australia had dreamed of getting a photo of the group walking back to the lodge with Scarbrow, and she got it!
And sadly, we learned that for one couple it would likely be their last trip together, as the husband was given just six months to live by his doctors earlier in the year. We were so thankful they had had such a wonderful trip, and that bears came right up to the Wilson cabin for them to enjoy! There were shared moments of crying together, and they raved about their experience.
LOOKING AHEAD
Scarbrow in orange. Nolan Plew photo.
The 2025 season set a high bar, but the Churchill Wild team is already preparing for 2026. Most Great Ice Bear safari dates are already sold out, with only one room remaining for the November 6-12 departure. Two late-season dates in November still have availability for those hoping to experience what returning guests now know: the Great Ice Bear at Dymond Lake offers something truly extraordinary.
The combination of Scarbrow’s faithful returns, the abundant bear activity, the professional guides, and the intimate Churchill Wild experience created something special. As Dan Besse wrote in his Google review: “The most amazing place. We saw many bears. The staff was the best. Each one was unbelievable.”
Kind eyes. Scarbrow. Dymond Lake Ecolodge. Nolan Plew photo.
For those who dream of Arctic adventure, of walking among polar bears in their natural habitat, of witnessing the northern lights dance across a limitless sky, of experiencing the raw beauty of the sub-Arctic tundra, the Great Ice Bear safari delivers on every promise.
Dreams were fulfilled once again in 2025, and a new generation of Arctic advocates was born, carrying home not just photographs and memories, but a deeper understanding of polar bears and why their fragile ecosystem matters…
More than ever.
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The Great Ice Bear Adventure
