Every October and November, polar bears gather along the shore of Hudson Bay around Churchill, Manitoba, waiting for the sea to freeze. For a few weeks this town of 870 people, reachable only by train or plane, becomes the best place on Earth to watch the world's largest land carnivore in the wild. That is why Churchill calls itself the Polar Bear Capital of the World.
Why polar bears gather at Churchill every autumn
The bears of Western Hudson Bay live by the rhythm of the ice. They hunt seals from the frozen bay through winter and spring. When the ice melts in July, they come ashore and spend the summer and early autumn on land, living largely off their fat reserves.
Churchill sits on the west shore of the bay at the mouth of the Churchill River, near the 58th parallel. As freeze-up approaches, hungry bears drift towards the shoreline around the town to be ready for the new ice. By mid- to late November the bay freezes and they head back out onto the ice to hunt.
Tundra vehicles and polar bear tours
October and November are Churchill's peak tourist season. Visitors watch the bears from tundra vehicles: large, high-sided buses on huge tyres that carry people across the frozen tundra east of town, with viewing platforms well above the reach of a bear. Curious bears often walk right up to them, stand against the sides and peer at the windows, which is how many of the photos below were taken.
Some operators run linked rolling lodges on the tundra, so guests can sleep in the middle of bear country and step out onto enclosed decks at dawn. Film crews and photographers use the same vehicles to work safely close to the animals.
Living with bears: the Polar Bear Alert Program
Churchill manages its seasonal visitors with Manitoba's Polar Bear Alert Program. Bears are not allowed inside a control zone around the townsite and the former dump. Staff patrol the area, chase bears away and, when needed, capture them. Residents and visitors report bears on a 24-hour line, 675-BEAR (675-2327).
Problem bears go to a holding facility, known locally as the polar bear jail, where they are held until they can be released safely away from town, ideally once the bay has frozen. The aim is simple: protect people and property, and stop bears from learning to depend on human food. Warning signs around town tell people where not to walk.
Hudson Bay sea ice and polar bear numbers
The Western Hudson Bay population is one of the most closely studied in the world, and the trend is worrying. A 2021 aerial survey counted an estimated 618 bears, down from 842 in 2016 and nearly half the number of the 1980s. The ice now breaks up earlier in summer and freezes later in autumn, so bears have less time on the ice to hunt seals. Young bears and females, which need the most energy for growing and raising cubs, are hit hardest.
How to visit Churchill, Manitoba
- Getting there: no road links Churchill to the rest of Canada. Via Rail's Winnipeg–Churchill train covers about 1,700 km in roughly 40 hours, and Calm Air flies from Winnipeg.
- Polar bears: October and November, with tours booked well in advance.
- Beluga whales: thousands gather in the Churchill River estuary in July and August to calve, which also makes Churchill the Beluga Capital of the World.
- Northern lights: best in February and March on clear nights.
- History: Prince of Wales Fort, a stone fort built between 1731 and 1741 at the river mouth, is a Parks Canada heritage site, and Wapusk National Park lies to the south-east.
Go with a licensed guide whenever you leave town in bear season: polar bears are powerful predators, and the tundra vehicles exist for good reason.
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