Marysville Travel and Cruise Company - Marysville, Washington

1500 LBS OF WHAT?

Fur, muscle and fat, that's what a big male polar Bear is made of. Some folks might think meanness should be in the description somewhere, but that's not the case. Survival and efficiency are more appropriate adjectives to describe the reason for this big carnivore's disposition. Miles of polar sea ice and subzero temperatures mandate a toughness conditioned by thousands of years in one of the world's harshest environments.
1500 lbs of power!

Periodic shortages of food require that each bear store up fat reserves that would probably kill most other mammals. Seals are the major source of the fat they require, but are not available immediately when the bears come back out to the coast each autumn from their summer habitats and dens. They patiently wait along the coastlines of North America, Scandinavia and Russia until the accumulating ice becomes thick enough to venture out on for their favorite prey. In the meantime they survive as opportunists, feeding on other animals, berries and even seaweed.

It's this habit of waiting along the coast that provides the unique opportunity to observe them up close near Churchill, Manitoba. Although a variety of experiences, lodgings, and tour facilities are available we chose one that appeared to be a "cut above the rest". Our caution was well rewarded, not only did we get to photograph and video more than 20 bears up close, but we enjoyed about the best lodgings and food that Churchill has to offer.

The thrill of being safely in the presence of so many of these rare beasts while they play, feed, sleep and just roam the beach is unforgettable. Our naturalist guide, a professional bear biologist, provided an understanding of their needs and adaptations to their environment that allowed us to interpret the variety of interactions we observed. He also was able to help us identify and understand the many other species, such as Arctic Hares, Arctic, Red and Cross Foxes, ptarmigan, Eider Ducks, Snowy Owls and Gyrfalcons that we observed.

This was truly an adventure of a lifetime; good wildlife, good food, good service and good companions.