Eye-to-Eye Polar Bear Tours

I have partnered with the expert guides at Polar Bear Alley in Churchill, Manitoba to offer an intimate ground-level polar bear photo tour in the polar bear capital of the world. On these tours, you will have the opportunity to photograph polar bears in a small group and at eye-level, rather than from way up high in a crowded tundra vehicle. This trip offers far more time searching for bears than typical tours in Churchill of similar length.

Photography highlights

The focus will be on polar bear photography with an amazing variety of spectacular backgrounds. Guides will also seek opportunities to photograph other sub-arctic highlights including the northern lights, arctic hare, arctic and red fox, ptarmigan, gyrfalcon, snowy owl, wolverine, caribou.

Ability level

This trip is designed for mid to advanced-level wildlife photographers, but anyone who is physically capable is most welcome. Most of the travel is by 4×4 van with some travel on foot. Participants must be prepared for the possibility of extreme weather and severe cold.

Group size

No more than 6 to 8 guests per tour.

Two polar bear sparring at sunset among spruce trees near Churchill, Manitoba

2022 tour dates

October 17-22

October 22-27

October 27-Nov 1

November 1 – 6

November 6-11

November 11-16

Trip itinerary and what to expect

Day 1:

After your arrival on the flight from Winnipeg, you will drop your bags at the hotel hop into a 4X4 van and head straight to the best spots to look for polar bears.

As safety allows, your guides will strive to get you on the ground to experience the majesty of these creatures and the awe they inspire. It will take your breath away. Being on the ground with polar bears is simply a defining moment in your life. It is a distinctly different experience than being inside a huge tundra vehicle, with several buggies simultaneously watching one bear.

On many days, your group will have bear encounters to yourselves— setting up on the ground and letting the bears approach—using your guides’ expert knowledge of bear encounters to maximize safety and photo opportunities.

Days 2-5

Each day starts at sunrise and you will shoot until sunset. The ‘magic hour’ in Churchill lasts much of the day, providing some amazing light with nuances and changes that only make it more appealing as the day passes. An average day features 2-3 bear encounters plus other wildlife encountered along the way.

On weather days or during lunch, you will stop at the world-famous Itsanitaq Museum, get your passport ‘polar bear’ stamp, visit a Churchill cabin complete with bear defenses and explore some local historic sites.

In the evenings, northern lights viewing is always an option and your guides will direct you to the best and safest shooting locations. A dedicated northern lights viewing tour is available as an add-on but most guest are exhausted from a full day of polar bears! The good news is that the aurora may come out early while you are dining in Churchill.

Day 6

A half-day of wildlife viewing and photography before the afternoon flight departs to Winnipeg. Some groups are ‘beared out’ by this point so your guides may target arctic fox or stalk a snowy owl. The last day usually includes a stop to visit a ‘favourite’ bear – usually a family group that you’ve spent a lot of time with through the week – before boarding the plane. Many groups gather for a final group dinner in Winnipeg to share stories and images of the week, and to plan the next adventure!

Frequently Asked Questions

How does bear viewing work?

We tour from dawn until dusk… which is an attainable feat given the latitude and the time of year! The tour usually starts around 730-8am and ends at 430-5pm, depending on conditions. We head out just before the sun crests the horizon and often photograph the sunset to end the day.

Its a fairly basic equation – we drive ‘safari-style’ along our trail system in search of polar bears and other wildlife. On most days, we spot a polar bear with binoculars and anticipate its path. This allows us to set up and let the bear walk towards us. A perfect encounter starts at a long distance and ends with a magical close encounter. As your guide ‘manages’ the encounter, you can simply enjoy the privilege of being on the ground with North America’s largest land
predator.

Our guides are all well-versed in bear behaviour and patterns. Respect for the bear is the absolute goal during each encounter – for some bears this means standing up to them, sometimes it means talking to them and sometimes it means retreating. Our job is to know the bears so that we can manage the humans properly. For example, Peanut is treated differently than Dr. Hook; Brattus is definitely different from Mr. Clean…!!

For the most part, we do not venture far from the vehicles – both for convenience of access to camera gear and lenses but also to reduce our envelope – if we stay near the vehicle then the bear views us as ‘one entity’ instead of several stimuli.

Some days we have bears all to ourselves and other days we are among the other tour operators’ vehicles. It is a small but tight knit group of guides and operators, so everything is always fun even if we end up in the ‘crowd’. Everyone is out there for the benefit of the bears and their clients.

Where will we be viewing bears?

Our territory extends from the municipal boundaries of the Town of Churchill east to the edge of the Tundra Vehicle tourism area. We operate on a series of trails that extend from the main highway – the only road – out of Churchill. Along this 20km stretch, there are eight main trails that we use – Miss Piggy Beach, Incinerator Trail, Polar Bear Alley, Mile Three, Ladoon Beach, Ithaca Cove and Bird Cove. All of these locations are on the shores of Hudson Bay and offer magnificent backdrops with high chances for polar bear encounters.

Do these trips contribute to wildlife conservation?

Travelling with us puts a value on maintaining wildlife populations in the Canadian arctic. While Churchill may seem contradictory at times, it is an absolute success story of bears and people coexisting. It is the ONLY location in Canada where polar bears are not hunted and these animals are habituated to people; habituated in a way that we are not perceived as threats. Once fear is removed, then so many doors are opened…

We are also leading members of the Churchill Bear Guide Association which places a high value on trail maintenance and environmental restoration as well as public education in terms of polar bear safety.

What other wildlife will we hope to see other than polar bears?

Additional trips will be made into the treeline and other locations to search for other species. An afternoon along the coast will be spent with an arctic hare and also with red foxes. The red fox has three phases – the traditional red phase, ‘cross’ fox phase and silver fox; these colour morphs are spectacular especially in the first snow and first frost. Arctic foxes are increasingly rare as the red fox expands its territory in a warming climate, they are more likely to be seen in November or the final week of the season.

From common to rare, this is a list of the species you may encounter in Churchill: Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcon, Hudson Bay Eider, Scoter, Tundra Swan, Spruce Grouse, Snowy Owls, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Hawk Owl, Red Fox, Arctic Hare, Snowshoe Hare, Pine Marten, Arctic Fox, Woodland Caribou, Wolverine, Wolves

Is it possible to see the northern lights?

Although never guaranteed, Churchill is one of the best places in the world to view the aurora borealis. We are often right under the ‘Auroral Oval’, an area of the highest northern lights activity circling the magnetic pole. Northern lights viewing or photography can be coordinated depending on the space weather (solar activity) forecast. Sunspot activity usually takes about three days to hit the earth’s magnetic field and create magical aurora. When this combines with a crisp, clear night, the results are unforgettable.

You will want a sturdy tripod and wide angle (or close) lens. A remote trigger is also advisable for aurora photography. Finally, a head lamp is a key piece of equipment for your settings and changing exposure lengths in the dark (don’t worry bear guards will accompany you if you are outside of town limits).

What level of fitness is required?

Guests need a good level of fitness and good balance for these trips. We do not walk long distances (unless the group is really keen) but we are outside much of the day. There will be short walks but for the most part, we try to stay in the envelope of the vehicles. You will need to get in and out the vehicle fairly easily – while we stand our ground with most bears, our policy is to ‘retreat’ if cubs are being too investigative or if there is an older, unhealthy bear. We have operated for 15 years without using our guns as deterrents and are very proud of this achievement.

A slightly higher level of fitness is required for trips in November as opposed to October, due to the ice and snow
conditions. Blizzards can hit the Churchill region for 2-3 days in November – while they make for epic polar bear photography, the conditions for clients are more challenging.

What are the accommodations and food like?

We stay in a local house. It is not fancy, but it is clean and comfortable with a common living room to relax in after a day of bear viewing and photography. The house has four private bedrooms and two shared bathrooms. Single travellers of the same gender may be required to share a bedroom.

Continental breakfast is provided. Lunch and dinners are typically eaten at local restaurants, but many guests choose to take advantage of the fully equipped kitchen to make some meals.

Is this a photography tour or workshop?

No. People who want to come to view wildlife without taking photos are most welcome. However, most of our guests do like to take photos and the Churchill area has endless opportunities for great photography. Although this is not specifically a photo workshop, all our guides are accomplished photographers and will do all they can to help you get more out of your photos and your experience

What are the best lenses for this trip?

Most people use lenses in the 400-600 mm range most commonly, but also bring a second body with a 100-400mm for closer encounters. Teleconverters are absolutely fine in Churchill given the high quality of light. Wide-angle lenses in the 16-35mm are great for northern lights.

Can we bring drones?

No. It is not permitted to fly drones near the bears and there are very few other opportunities to fly drones safely. Most of the Churchill coast is classified as an ‘advanced’ security zone due to the proximity of the airport so you would need a special certificate to fly a drone and permission from NavCanada.

Special requests can be made as our guides have the necessary certifications and has experience in attaining permissions from NavCanada. We can assist you if a drone image is a high priority, however these requests would require significant advance notice and involve additional fees.

Are cell communications and wifi available?

Churchill has cell coverage for most of the coast but there are still a few ‘dead spots’ which are kind of a blessing ☺. Wifi available at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre and may also be available at the house (to be determined).

What about Waivers, Medical Forms and Travel Insurance?

Waivers and medical forms must be completed when you pay your invoice. It is also mandatory that tour participants purchase independent trip cancellation insurance to protect against any unforeseen circumstance.

2022 Pricing

$5995 Canadian dollars + 5% tax

Included

Four full days and 2 half-days of eye-level polar bear photography (the most days in the field of any Churchill polar bear tour on offer).

Experienced guide and bear guard with 4×4 vehicle

Accommodations and shuttles in Church

Continental breakfast

Not included

Flights to/from Churchill*

Lunch and dinner

Accommodations outside Churchill

Single supplement $1250

Deposit

A $1500 deposit is required at the time of booking to secure your spot.

*We have secured a group rate for flights between Winnipeg and Churchill

Bilingual French/English guides available

An arctic fox curled up in the snow with one eye open

Two polar bears sparing on hind legs in Churchill, Manitoba

Questions?

Contact Tim to learn more or to reserve your spot.

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