Polar Bears: Lord of the Arctic

Photo by Theresa Bielawski

Deep in the frozen tundra of Alaska and Canada, where the spirit of the northern lights touch the ice, roams a bear the Inuit people call “Nanook”. He is the undisputed ruler of his wintery kingdom, where he fears no one. Revered, prized and honored, the polar bear stands alone at the top of the food chain. As large as a Kodiak bear, a male can weigh over 1500 pounds. They spend the vast majority of their lives on the sea ice where they exist to hunt seals by patiently waiting for them to come out of the water where they crush the skull with its massive jaws. While seals are the preferred meal, they have also been known to hunt caribou and beluga whales. Their girth masks the fact that they are agile swimmers and divers. Its white coat consists of water repellant hair on top of a thick undercoat that channels the sunlight to its black skin. There are areas that are best for viewing polar bears, but it is highly recommended that it is done with a guide. These bears have absolutely no fear of humans. They are dangerous predators and do view us a prey.

Kaktovik, Alaska

While bears spend most of their time on the ice, during ice-free periods between August and October, they will make their way to land near the village of Kaktovik, which sits on the edge of 20 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. It is a very small Inupiat village that has very limited hotel rooms and other amenities.

Barrow, Alaska

The most northern town in America, Barrow is 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The sun sets on the town in early November and doesn’t rise again until the end of January. In between, there is just one hour of twilight. Most visitors arrive in the summer with twice daily flights from Fairbanks. There are several hotels and restaurants and plenty of opportunities to see a wide variety of bird life, including the snowy owl, enormous herds of caribou, the arctic fox and, of course, polar bears.

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Called the polar bear capitol of the world, it is also a whale viewing hotspot, a birder’s paradise, and some say the northern lights will take your breath away. But by far it is the polar bears that attract the most attention. Thousands of visitors descend on Churchill every year to view and photograph these magnificent creatures in the wild. Prime viewing time is between the months of October and November when the bears are on the move from the summer habitat back to the seal hunting grounds. There are local tundra vehicles that make it possible to view the bears safely. These unique vehicles sit up very high and are designed to carry passengers smoothly over snow and ice, protecting the occupants from hungry bears. There is also a wilderness lodge built on the bear's migration route and guided bear walks.

Iqaluit Nunavut, Canada

Iqaluit is the capital city of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, which means “the place of many fish”. It is known for its vast tundras and soaring ice-capped mountains. It is home to many Inuit artists, filmmakers and musicians and people of this area love to venture out on the sea and ice all times during the year for many types of outdoor activities including dog sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, boating, rafting and fishing. Beluga, bowhead and narwhal whales call this area home as well as caribou, muskox, seals and polar bears. There are numerous hotels, lodges, as well as bed-and-breakfast accommodations. The Arctic Kingdom is a tour company that has specialized in polar bear viewing for over 20 years. With their operators, you will view polar bears in their natural setting every season of the year. In March and April, you will have the chance to spot bears on the ground as they roam the sea ice. In May and June, polar bears can be viewed at the floe edge and in the summer guests can view them from one of their boats as the bears swim in the arctic waters. During the winter months, there are many opportunities to see them on the snowy tundra as they make their annual migration.

When deciding to view polar bears in their natural settings in best to choose an experienced guide. As fluffy and cute as polar bears seem to be, they are fierce and dangerous and should be treated with respect from a safe distance. A hungry bear is a dangerous bear and the same protocols that work with other bears don’t work with polars as they have no fear of humans. It is what makes them the lord of the arctic.