Come on little one. You can do it! Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
by Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.Net
We are happy to announce that the mom and cubs we have been watching for the past 11 days on the Nanuk Emergence Quest at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge have made it safely to the Hudson Bay sea ice!
The protector is watching. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Polar bear cubs have to learn quickly what it means to be a polar bear. From the first day outside their den, they are in polar bear kindergarten. Mom lets them explore their surroundings on their own, but only within a few metres of her. If they wander too far, she will shake her head slightly or make a hissing sound. Time to turn around!
Deep in the forest. Polar bear cubs playing at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
These activities are important for the cubs. In a few days, they will have to walk all the way to the Hudson Bay sea ice with their mom. Walking up to 10 kilometres in a single day on those tiny legs is no easy feat. That’s why mom is taking her time to get them ready for their big journey.
In search of polar bears at sunrise. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Every morning, we loaded up our snowmobiles and sleds, a modernized version of traditional Inuit komatiks (sleds) with iglootaks (superstructures), and headed west, usually just after sunrise. Our scouts, Ben and Richard, were already out searching for the bear family.
Come on Mom, let’s go. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
While the bears didn’t travel far each day, their tracks told a different story. Mom had been exercising her cubs by walking back and forth—even in circles. Their tracks crisscrossed the boreal forest, making it quite challenging to locate the bears every morning, but our scouts sure knew their craft. For another four days, we had the privilege of watching the bears as they grew stronger, bringing our total to seven consecutive days with them.
Big, beautiful, strong and healthy, Mom. She’ll need all her knowledge, strength and hunting skills, to help her cubs over the next 2 1/2-years. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
The Journey Begins
On day eight, mom decided that the little ones were now ready for a longer trek. This walk took them across the Menahook River, into an almost inaccessible mix of creeks, swamps, willows, and tamarack trees. No problem for a polar bear—but for humans? Quite the opposite.
Waking up at Nanuk. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
We spent the next two days exploring the coastline, waiting for our bears to make their way out of that thicket again. We encountered many moose, even right at the lodge. There were also red foxes, ptarmigans, grouse, and other Arctic wildlife. We also saw tracks of wolverines, wolves, snowshoe hares, and even the odd river otter.
Moose at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge were abundant. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Being the only people on this remote stretch of Hudson Bay, in an area twice the size of Switzerland, is an adventure on its own. We very much enjoyed building a fire, having lunch out in the field, and admiring the landscapes. While our main goal was to find and watch polar bear moms and cubs, understanding the environment they live in is as much a part of the experience as the encounter itself.
Gorgeous red fox at Nanuk. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
A Final Farewell
The next day, our scouts, Ben and Richard, had good news for us: The bears were now within four kilometres of the coast, in a spot that was accessible to us. Sure enough, we caught another glimpse of mom and her cubs.
Playing in the forest. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Mom and her cubs seemed noticeably more antsy than when we had previously encountered them. We don’t know if this was excitement or caution from mom, as they were now in wolf territory. We didn’t want to stress or push them, so we retreated for the day.
Mom and cubs were in wolf territory now. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
The next day, which was the last day for this group, we made our way west well before sunrise. Our hope was to see mom walking out onto the sea ice with her cubs, if she made “the dash” today.
Almost there! Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
After breakfast around the campfire, our scouts finally located our bears. They had already reached the coast. Mom was leading the way, and both cubs were trying their best to keep up with her. What an emotional moment!
Safe in the forest. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Over the past 11 days, we had watched these cubs from their den emergence to their first steps onto the sea ice.
Goodbye little bears! Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
A Heartfelt Thank You
A huge thank you to the incredible team at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge—Ben, Nicole, Richard, Boomer, Marko, Butch, Pauli, Annie, Shayna, Hayley, and Tyler—for their long hours and tireless efforts in making these encounters possible!
A heartfelt thank you to the fabulous staff at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge! Fabienne Jansen ArcticWild.net photo.
Churchill Wild Polar Bear Safaris 2025-2026.
