Highlights from one of our clients’ polar bear encounters.
What an experience we had polar bear viewing in Churchill, it has really left me with some fantastic memories!
I’d previously only seen polar bears in captivity before but seeing them in the wild was absolutely amazing. You only realise how big they are when they’re right in front of you – nothing like the polar bears you may have seen in the zoo. Seeing how they behave in their natural environment was incredible and I was totally in awe of these huge mammals.
The guides were brilliant! They were very knowledgeable and helpful having worked there for many years, and they knew how to judge their behaviour, which made me feel safe and secure. One large male polar bear lumbered toward our vehicle – you couldn’t hear a pin drop in the vehicle – as the bear sniffed cautiously at the buggy wheels before hoisting himself up onto his hind legs to peer through the windows: I am not sure who was watching who!
Although we saw bears each day, one day stands out in my memory; we were having lunch and our guide was scanning the sea ice when he told us to shush and pointed out where we should be watching. A mum and 2 cubs could be seen in the distance, they came slowly closer with the cubs trying to walk in mums paw prints and walked directly behind our vehicle. We waited for a while then drove to where they were seen heading and there was mum nursing her cubs. An OMG moment and one I’ll never forget.
Mrs ‘H’