Fierce fun at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge! Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
by Christoph and Fabienne Jansen, ArcticWild.net
Temperatures on the coast of Hudson Bay are slowly dropping, and the local polar bears will soon have their first chance to try out the sea ice. We have been fortunate to spend the last few days at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, watching these amazing animals as they wait for their favourite time of the year.
Just kidding around at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Getting to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is a journey in itself. It is the most remote of all Churchill Wild lodges, more than 200 km away from the nearest permanent settlement. Weather conditions are not always suitable for flying into such remote areas, especially as fall turns into winter. We were delayed by one day due to high winds, a fact that was immediately forgotten when we spotted four bears within the first hour of our arrival at Nanuk. What a start!
Big male on the move at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Over the next few days, we had our best bear encounters ever. We saw so many bears that we were jokingly discussing whether a group of polar bears is called a school, a flock, a herd, or a pack. (Scientifically, it’s called a “celebration,” but gatherings of polar bears are so rare that this term is rarely used.)
That sly look. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
Anyway, we observed two, sometimes three, big male polar bears sparring. At this time of the year they are just play fighting, as they don’t have anything to fight over. When fighting for breeding rights in spring, it’s a completely different story. But now, they are just getting back in shape, spending time with their buddies and waiting for the sea ice to be strong enough to support their weight.
“No bear, that’s close enough.” Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
We saw a cute little female polar bear that was probably on her own for the first season. We also saw a polar bear mom with her two-year-old cubs. The male cub was almost as big as his mom and he was pretty bold. The guides had to use their “bear voices” for a sincere “no bear, that’s close enough,” more than once.
Mom and cubs at Nanuk. The male cub was almost as big as his mother! Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
We struggle to recount all our bear encounters over the last few days. But we are confident that we spotted well over two dozen individual bears, some of them over the course of multiple days.
Snowy owls have flourished this fall at Nanuk. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
But bears are not the only animals that are unusually abundant this year. While snowy owls are common in the area, we have never seen so many at one time, and we’ve been on over thirty safaris here. We’ve observed them hunting, flying, calling, and just sitting perched on top of a tree.
Elusive wolverine at Nanuk. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
The most elusive animal up here, however, is the wolverine. These are solitary animals that viciously defend their large territories. While they are cautious when it comes to human encounters, they are not afraid of anything else. There have even been reports of wolverines attacking polar bears! While we haven’t witnessed that, we were lucky to spot a wolverine running across the frozen Mistokokan River, not far away from us. What an incredible encounter!
The Kaskattama pack was spotted at a distance at Nanuk. Christoph Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
November 17 marked the official end of the polar bear viewing season with the Polar Bear Photo Safari at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, but the season is far from over. We are now on the Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast safari looking for wolves. There are two packs in the area, the Opoyastin pack to the west and the Kaskattama pack to the east.
A cooling face wash after sparring. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
During our polar bear excursions, we have spotted seven members of the Kaskattama pack in the distance, but the Opoyastin pack has not been seen yet. Fingers crossed that we will find them. Or, as one of our guides put it…
That they will find us.
The only place on the planet where you can walk with polar bears. And have dinner with them too! Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
- See more of Christoph and Fabienne’s photos at ArcticWild.net
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Churchill Wild Polar Bear Safaris 2025-2026
