What is the best time to see polar bears?

by George Williams

“What is the best time to see polar bears?”

It’s the most commonly asked question we get at Churchill Wild. Our answer?

It really depends on which of nature’s seasonal backdrops you prefer for your wildlife photography, the type of weather you like, and what other wildlife you would like to see along with the bears. You also have to decide how you want to see the bears, and what type of accommodations you want to stay in.

Do want to see polar bears while riding in a large polar vehicle, a ship, a boat, a hotel on wheels? Or do you want to see polar bears at ground-level and relax in the comfort of an Arctic luxury ecolodge, located deep in the heart of polar bear territory directly in the path of the polar bears?

Polar bears can actually be seen in the wild throughout the year, but logistics, location and weather make it very difficult to see them in the depths of winter when they are out on the ice feeding on seals. During the spring, summer and fall however, polar bears can be seen regularly on land if you are in the ideal location.

The most accessible population of polar bears in the world makes its home on Canada’s western Hudson Bay coast, and thousands of people flock to the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” Churchill, Manitoba, to see the great white bears in October and November. But the bears are actually wandering up and down the Hudson Bay coastline (and right by the remote Churchill Wild polar bear lodges), from the time they come off the ice in late May or June until they head back out onto the ice in late November.

While there are other places in the world where you can see polar bears in the wild, there are none that we know of that offer polar bear walking safaris based out of remote and permanent Arctic luxury ecolodges. Churchill Wild pioneered polar bear walking safaris over 30 years ago at Seal River Heritage Lodge and added Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge to their family of ecolodges in 2009, but the Churchill Wild founders have actually been walking with polar bears for five decades, beginning at Dymond Lake Ecolodge.

Both Seal River Heritage Lodge and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge were proud members of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World Collection while that program existed, and all three Churchill Wild lodges are remotely located on the “polar bear highway” along the Hudson Bay coast. We walk with polar bears from July through November, so the best time to see polar bears is really a matter of personal choice.

Polar bears are the common thread among all our wildlife walking safaris, along with fabulous food, exceptional customer service and warm, cozy accommodations, but our polar bear lodges are far apart from each other in different ecosystems along the Hudson Bay coast, and each hosts polar bear tours and safaris that are unique to their location.

Would you like to see polar bears during the warmer summer months when the tundra is just beginning to spring to life, migratory birds are courting everywhere and beluga whales are frolicking in the Seal River? Do you love fall colours? How about black bears and wolves? And what about mysterious icescapes and boulders shrouded in fog or covered in magical light?

Would you like to see polar bears sparring on the ice or lazing around on a summer carpet of flowers? And what about Arctic fox, red fox, caribou, moose, wolverine, sik-siks and other wildlife, along with bald eagles, Arctic terns, ptarmigan, snowy owls and hundreds of other shore birds? A slightly different mix of these wild creatures and more can be found at each of our ecolodges. And let’s not forget about the spectacular northern lights, which show up at our lodges on many a clear, crisp evening.

Churchill Wild currently offers 11 unique polar bear walking safaris at three different “Arctic” luxury ecolodges, all of which are reached by a short flight from Churchill, Manitoba. The flights to the lodges are often wildlife viewing adventures on their own, but click the safari and lodge links below and you might just discover your trip of a lifetime!

Churchill Wild Polar Bear Lodges on the Hudson Bay coast

• Seal River Heritage Lodge is 60 km north of Churchill on the Hudson Bay coast near the Seal River estuary, where thousands of beluga whales gather every summer.
• Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is 250 km southeast of Churchill on the Hudson Bay coast near the historic York Factory, where long sweeping coastal flats blend with the boreal forest to create one of the wildest places on earth.
• Dymond Lake Ecolodge is 30 km north of Churchill on a strip of land bordered by Dymond Lake and Hudson Bay, where the boreal forest transitions to the tundra and the water freezes just before that of Hudson Bay, attracting polar bears anxious to get back on the ice early.

Summer Polar Bear Walking Safaris and Polar Bear Tours

• July/August – Birds, Bears & Belugas at Seal River Heritage Lodge
• August – Arctic Discovery at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
• August – Summer Dual Lodge Safari at Seal River Heritage Lodge and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
• August/September – Hudson Bay Odyssey at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

Fall Polar Bear Walking Safaris and Polar Bear Tours

• August/September – Hudson Bay Odyssey at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
• September – Arctic Safari at Seal River Heritage Lodge and Barren Lands Tundra Camp

Early Winter Polar Bear Walking Safaris and Polar Bear Tours

• October – Fall Dual Lodge Safari at Seal River Heritage Lodge and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
• October/November – Polar Bear Photo Safari at Seal River, Polar Bear Photo Safari at Nanuk
• October/November – Great Ice Bear Adventure at Dymond Lake Ecolodge
• November – Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

Late Winter/Early Spring Polar Bear Walking Safaris and Polar Bear Tours

• February/March – Nanuk Emergence Quest at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
• March – Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

The World’s Greatest Arctic Safari

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