The Great White Bear Hunt
If flying halfway around the world sitting next to an air-raid siren thinly disguised as a baby, whilst trying to get some sleep in an economy de-lux reclining (not) chair was the price for getting a good look at the single most entertaining mammal to be found on the wide expanse of the Canadian tundra, then I’d say it was cheap at the price!
The Polar Bear (Ursus Maritimus) is an impressive creature, a strong swimmer, a skilled long distance walker, with a massively built body to assist with the shredding of seals and small whales that he hopes to meet. A penchant for cold kelp and an unbelievable tolerance for freezing temperatures, isolation and camera wielding travellers make him a fascinating character. They offer a master class in adaptation to their habitat and a class act when it comes to enthralling their fortunate audience.
The town of Churchill used to house and employ roughly 8000 people until the military pulled out in 1980, leaving 800 hardy souls and upto a 1000 polar bears to keep them company for part of the year. Each evening the ‘curfew’ siren calls the sensible few inside. This leaves the streets to the odd bear and the serious frostbitten wildlife photographers still tracking artic foxes around the post office or trying to capture the mesmerizing aurora borealis on film.
A single day in and around Churchill offers a variety of amazing photographic opportunities. I saw my first bear dozing in a snowdrift just a few yards beyond the town limits. Half a mile later we stopped to watch a mother with two cubs wandering along the edge of the Hudson Bay, this is all before we set out in a tundra vehicle for the serious bear tracking. The tundra vehicle with its numerous camera-friendly sliding windows, rear observation deck and heated interior is an ideal way to tackle this frozen land. A helicopter isn’t bad either and a two hour flight provided an amazing perspective on a landscape that in places resembles parts of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. The helicopter pilot was extremely skilled at making sure that both sides of the craft were exposed to the bears and caribou that we continually flew over. I have a great shot of a caribou bull which includes my left boot and a headset cable that I won’t share with you.
Back on terra tundra, we had the opportunity to see how husky dog teams are handled and just how much acceleration eight of them can muster. Like any safari, it was great to experience the environment in as many ways as possible and sledding manages to be peaceful and exhilarating at the same time.
The history of the town, its wildlife and people was brought to life through a number of evening presentations. No-one was leaving with just a vague understanding of how man and mammal cohabit on this frontier.
Mike our Natural Habitat guide was exactly what a good guide should be, faultless in his knowledge of the area (he also guides in the Everglades and Baja), an entertaining host with a good supply of arctic relevant gags, happy to lend a bird book or a 400mm Nikon Lens (well beyond the call of duty) and passionate about sharing arctic conservation.
Like gorillas in Bwindi, gray whales in Baja and monarch butterflies in Rosario, the polar bears in Churchill are a wildlife highlight that everyone should experience. Regardless of whether you are in a tundra vehicle, a helicopter or an airport transfer bus, the Great White Bear is a natural icon.
Ben Forbes
