2025-08-23
If spotting polar bears in the wild is on your bucket list, there are only a few destinations to consider: Norway, Kaktovik, Alaska (off-limits for now), and parts of Canada, Greenland and Russia. There are currently two accessible areas where polar bears are most concentrated:
--Svalbard, Norway, an archipelago just 800 miles from the North Pole, with about 300 polar bears. --Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, with about 700 polar bears, claiming the title of "Polar Bear Capital of the World."
Globally, there may be around 25,000 polar bears. There hasn’t been a coordinated survey since 2004, when the count was 22,000 to 24,000.
Polar bears are the largest land predators in the world (an adult male will outweigh an adult male grizzly). But they are struggling as ice melts more rapidly and frequently. It’s tiring for them to hunt seals on land and water instead of on ice. In Norway, bears are now snacking on reindeer, while in Churchill, they can sometimes feast on belugas.
Having journeyed to Svalbard in May, 2024, we went to Churchill in August, 2025, in search of polar bears. Here's what we found!
Whew.
The sleepy little town of Churchill, Manitoba, in the subarctic Hudson Bay, buzzes with tourists from May to November. That's when Arctic birds migrate overhead, 50,000 beluga whales come to feed, polar bears wander by waiting for the bay to freeze, and the Northern Lights can be spotted if one is lucky.
Indeed, in late July to late August, it's possible to kayak next to belugas, catch polar bears lazing in the sun, and admire the Aurora Borealis, all in the same day. Which we did!
Ways to Experience Churchill
There are three primary ways to experience Churchill:
- Churchill Wild wilderness ecolodges
- Churchill-based excursions arranged by lodges and tour-only companies
- Cruise ships stopping overnight, including Silversea, Hapag-Lloyd, and Adventure Life (these are infrequent visitors and don't get the full benefit of a trip to Churchill)
Arrival at Churchill Wild
On Aug. 1, 2025, my adult daughter Regan and I arrived in Churchill to start our Birds, Bears, and Belugas experience with Churchill Wild.
This family-owned company runs three remote, fly-in ecolodges tucked along the Hudson Bay. This is where polar bears amble and laze while waiting for sea waters to freeze once again—-meaning they walk by and around these lodges! (The owners pioneered polar bear walking safaris in 1993.)
From Churchill, we took a small plane 38 miles to Seal River Heritage Lodge, admiring pods of belugas below, until our pilot said the magic words:
"There's a polar bear...Oh, there's another..."
We got whiplash trying to catch glimpses of the magnificent beasts on grass and rock as the plane zipped past. He probably spotted about ten on the way.
Then, as we landed, we saw a mother bear and two youngsters disappear into (very nearby) brush!
What a start! So many polar bears before we even checked in!
Our armed guides carefully watched for any activity from the three bears near the landing strip before taking us to the lodge.
This precautionary care/expertise is a fundamental principle for Churchill Wild, along with ethical wildlife viewing and sustainability. Our first on-site group event was all about safety, including bear deterrents and how to respond if a bear approached us (including looking "big" as a group). We had to stay about 330 feet away, but strategies were provided in case a bear came closer.
The guides were all well-equipped with numerous bear deterrents; the rifles were in case of a worst-case scenario (we're told none of the guides has ever had to use them); the most effective defense, we were told, was to loudly bang two rocks together. Loudly shouting "Hey bear!" was also supposedly an effective strategy, and one they had us practice as a group. It may sound silly, but we felt safe under the guides' expert care.
Lodge Life and Activities
There were only 17 of us guests, immediately bonded by a love of nature and wildlife. Over the next five days, we enjoyed:
- Two daily hikes/walks in soggy tundra, muck, or rocks, searching for bears and other wildlife (including many Arctic birds and, to our surprise, sandhill cranes--which are abundant in Florida, where we live) or learning about the ecosystem.
- Three hearty, healthy meals a day.
- Evening lectures.
- Continuous monitoring from the watchtower, both by staff and zealous guests like my daughter.
Weather varied: we occasionally had T-shirt weather, but also stood in frigid rain one morning to admire a mom with two youngsters and a solo bear, all out on a spit. (The threesome were the same bears who greeted us upon arrival and saw us off when we left.)
Beluga Day
One day was devoted to the playful, frolicking belugas. We took Zodiacs out on Hudson Bay to the mouth of the Seal River, where belugas swam all around us (and yes, a polar bear was swimming too!).
Night Encounters
The days were long. Sometimes so were the nights.
- Regan woke me up once for a bear right outside the lodge around 10:30 p.m.
- And again at 11:20 p.m. (the same night!) for the Northern Lights. This was an unexpected bonus since nights were still pretty light near the Arctic.
Departure
We were disappointed when we didn't see any polar bears for nearly a day and a half, partially due to the thick haze of smoke that was blown in from numerous wildfires in Manitoba. Then on departure day, there were four right at the lodge! The lodge manager practically had to drag us away to catch our flight—-we reluctantly left our bears, and a piece of our hearts, behind.
Churchill Wild’s Blueberry Inn and Additional Excursions
Regan and I stayed in Churchill town for three more nights at Churchill Wild's new, cozy Blueberry Inn. We packed a lot of fun into such a short time:
- Frontiers North's Tundra Buggy
- One of only two operators allowed in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA) and its polar bear hotspots.
- Guide Dylan McCart expertly managed rough roads and nearly 40 guests, serving a surprisingly tasty lunch and drinks.
- We spotted eight bears, including three youngsters!
- Sub-Arctic Tours
- A private tour with owner Leroy Whitmore.
- He worked tirelessly to find us a polar bear in the publicly accessible areas around Churchill, making sure to point out arctic hares and belugas along the way. Near the end of the day, we spotted one very large bear, sprawled atop rocks, and got to enjoy him for about an hour--the only bear we had all to ourselves.
- Discover Churchill's Northern Lights
- It costs $25 per person to be on the call list for nights when the aurora is visible.
- We got the call around 10:30 p.m., drove out of town, and enjoyed a good light show, with an excellent photographer making sure to help capture the experience.
- Kayaking with Sea North
- Out on the Churchill River, surrounded by hundreds of playful belugas.
- They are drawn to sound, so we sang show tunes—-"Big Spender" was a hit!
- We were part of a group of over 40 kayakers; orientation took a while, but we had two delightful hours on the water to play with the belugas.
- Car rental for bear spotting and general shenanigans
- There were limited public routes and we could not leave the vehicle.
- We spotted one distant bear on a spit and another galloping across the way!
- We got to enjoy a beautiful sunset over the water.
- Don't ask about the flat tire. Regan is starting to collect them in various countries around the world through no fault of her own.
Final tally: about 20 polar bears (not including the ones from the plane) over eight nights, including several cubs, two swimming, and two spotted on our own. By comparison, during a 12-day cruise around Svalbard, Norway, we saw only seven bears, all from very far away. Churchill rocks!
Practical Notes
- Travel: Churchill is remote—-you must fly from Winnipeg (expensive via Calm Air) or take a two-day train from Winnipeg via Thompson.
- Weather: Pretty temperate in summer; Churchill Wild provides raincoats, wet pants, muck boots, and life jackets.
- Bugs: Horrendous mosquitoes, biting horseflies, no-see-ums, etc. Face or full body nets recommended.
- Fireweed: Around early August, you may see bears lying among vibrant purple fields at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Some operators offer limited tours to Hubbard Point, where multiple polar bears may be found among the flowers.
What a magical, unforgettable experience! I'm interested in learning more about Churchill!
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