Canada: Polar Bear Mothers and Newborn Cubs
The Arctic
Day 1
Arrive in Winnipeg, Manitoba and transfer to the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, which is a short walk from the airport. You will be met by your Expedition Leader and the rest of the group of only six people for a welcome dinner.
Day 2
Meet in the morning for your flight to Churchill. On arrival in Churchill, you will have an opportunity to explore while you wait for the 7:30pm train departure for Chesnaye. The train ride is approximately 2 hours.
At Chesnaye, disembark and transfer to the waiting tracked vehicles for the 30-minute ride to the Lodge. You should arrive at the Lodge around 10pm.
Days 3-8
Daily sorties for mother polar bears and newborn cubs. After 7:00 am breakfasts, depart in heated tracked vehicles in search of polar bear dens.
Scouts will go ahead and radio the vans where the locations of the dens are. In some cases, you will travel to known den locations, and on other days a new den might be found.
Patience will be rewarded with anywhere from one to three newly born cubs with their mother polar bear at the mouth of a den.
After dinner, take a peek at the night sky and see if the shimmering northern lights above the trees.
Day 9
Your week with mother and newborn cubs comes to an end. Leave early in the morning for the train ride back to Churchill, and travel onwards with an afternoon flight to Winnipeg. Overnight in Winnipeg.