Experience the Kingdom of the Ice Bear

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Churchill is nestled on the western shore of Hudson Bay, about 650 miles north of Winnipeg. Every autumn, polar bears gather along the water's edge near town, anxiously waiting for sea ice to form. Once the bay freezes over, the hungry bears move out onto the ice where they will spend the winter hunting seal.

No one is better equipped to get you there than The Great Canadian Travel Company -- the company has been operating polar bear watches since 1980.

They advise that space on these programs tends to sell out fast – so it's not too early to make reservations (and take advantage of that favorable exchange rate). Because the tours are scheduled to coincide with peak migration, the likelihood of seeing polar bears is very high. Experts are so confident that they put the chances of coming face-to-face with these fascinating creatures at over 99 percent.

The 6-day/5-night “Kingdom of the Ice Bear” is priced at $4,440 (Canadian) per person (app. $4,035 US) based on double occupancy, and includes three nights' accommodation in Churchill, two nights' accommodation in Winnipeg, round-trip airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill, and most meals. The tour is escorted by a naturalist guide. A tour and dinner reception at Winnipeg's Manitoba Museum is also included. Departures are scheduled for October 25 and 30, and November 2 and 8. The single supplement is $1,140 Canadian (app. $1,035 US).

Also included in Churchill are local tours, a dog sled excursion, free time to explore on your own and two full days out on the tundra, watching polar bears and observing the relationships they form with other wildlife species.

You'll see the bears up close and in total comfort and safety aboard a giant tundra vehicle. This specially designed transport permits visitors to get close enough to observe and photograph migrating bears. The buggy accommodates 36 passengers, is well heated and equipped with a washroom. Its six-foot-diameter tires allow unparalleled and low-pressure access onto the fragile tundra.

You can watch and photograph these magnificent mammals from inside the buggy (its windows open and are well out of reach of even a polar bear standing on its hind legs) or from an outside viewing platform.

Naturalists will brief you about the habits and habitat of polar bears. You'll learn that these intelligent marine mammals are extremely powerful, able to travel great distances–up to 60 miles without resting–and swim as fast as six miles per hour. You'll discover that adult males weigh as much as 1,500 pounds or more and that sows with cubs are so protective of their young that they have been known to rear up to ward off threatening helicopters.

For those wishing to learn more about photography in the sub-arctic, a specialist-guided six-day “Polar Bear Photography Tour” is being offered, priced at $5,730 (app. $5,210 US), with departure November 5. The single supplement is $1,535 Canadian (app. $1,395 US).

More information: https://greatcanadiantravel.com/tours/kingdom-ice-bear