Polar bears are the only mammals known to actively hunt humans. However, every year the most feared and revered inhabitants of Canada attract thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Not only do these intrepid souls get up close and personal with Ursus maritimus – the largest land predator – they’re happy to pay top dollar to do so.
The fact that polar bears are a dying breed is part of the allure. At Earth’s current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, they could disappear by 2100. So whether you’re just a wildlife lover or a tourist of last resort, now is the time to see the 1,000-pound carnivore that Inuit they call it “nanuk”.
Depart
Canada boasts about 16,000 polar bears, roughly 60% of the world’s total population. With as many bears as taxpayers, Churchill, Manitoba (pop. 900), bills itself as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.” It’s not unheard of to see Dumpster bears taking a dive downtown. But the best sightings occur in the bears’ natural habitat, accessible by tundra buggy.
Equipped with five-and-a-half-meter tall tires, these 40-passenger off-road vehicles are designed to bypass snow and ice. Most tundra buggy tours are part of multi-day itineraries, including lodging and meals (from $1,000 per person per night).
Frontiers North, however, offers a one-day experience for $1,527. While Manitoba’s polar bear season is traditionally in the fall and the aurora borealis season in the winter, this year Lazy Bear Expeditions is offering its first package combining both bucket list experiences.
The five-night itinerary (from $4,500 per person) also includes a helicopter safari and a stop at a polar bear prison.
Pro tip: “Get a window seat near the back of the vehicle,” said Kit Muir, Media Content Specialist at Travel Manitoba. “When it’s time to stop, you’ll be the first on the outdoor viewing platform that’s in the back.”
Knock it off
In 1994, Churchill Wild founder Mike Reimer turned heads when he opened a lodge offering the world’s first walking polar bear safari. Thirty years later, it’s still the only remote Arctic luxury eco-lodge that takes travelers on foot.
Days are spent walking the tundra, staying at least 330 meters from these killers (there have only been about two dozen confirmed deaths since 1870).
However, guides pack bear spray, pistols loaded with screamer and banger ammunition, and shotguns. Nights are spent at the enclosed Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World property located on the scenic Kaska Coast of Hudson Bay.
At $11,700 per person for six nights, it’s not cheap. But freelance photographer and travel writer Susan Portnoy said it’s worth it for the eye-level access: “Your images will be more dynamic than falling out of a vehicle.”
Pro tip: Book a trip in November if you also want to see clouded wolves – which are not afraid of humans.
Sailing in
Thanks to melting sea ice, Canadian waters have never been more accessible. While most arctic cruises do not specialize in polar bear viewing, sightings are common. Guests aboard the National Geographic Resolution on July 31 saw seven bears – including a mother with two playful cubs.
Unlike land safaris in Manitoba, cruises often include stops in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, home to 90% of Canada’s polar bears.
But because these destinations are so far away, you’ll need more dough and PTO. Lindblad Expeditions’ 24-day trip to the High Arctic Archipelago starts at $44,339.
Pro tip: Keep your eyes peeled for the narwhal – the unicorn of the sea.
Grin and bear it
Feeling lazy? Book Natural Habitat Adventures’ seven-day Tundra Trek at the Lodge (from $10,495 per person). This custom-built train-style hotel with 32 beds on monster truck-sized tires is only open in October and November. But because of its mobile nature, it is always parked where the bears are.
Capture all your Insta content from the comfort of the dining car, lounge and lodge exterior viewing platforms.
Pro tip: Don’t expect fancy lies. You’re on a 3 a.m. wake-up call when special sightings occur.
“Watching the Northern Lights through the window and having access to polar bear viewing opportunities 24 hours a day beats a warm shower and a fluffy bed,” said Jennifer Weinberg, a travel blogger.
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Image Source : nypost.com