We finally had a day off today. We went on a road tour in an old school bus with our very knowledgeable guide “Sheldon”. We had high hopes of seeing a polar bear of course, as well as other animal life. We saw huge mounds of land pushed up from the earth about 2-4 feet due to frozen permafrost underneath them. While driving on trails in the tundra, we stopped to take a picture of snow geese, tundra swan and red foxes. Sheldon had seen a polar bear the day before along the Hudson Bay in an area new his house. So we went there and sure enough, there was the 1,000lb bear walking along the bay. From what I could see….he was a massive mound of muscle with creamy fur.
I couldn’t believe I was finally looking at a real live polar bear! We decided to move on in our drive and then the big moment occurred…Mr. Doug spotted the ever elusive white mass in the forest. High up on the rocky cliff, along the tree line of the boreal forest, there roamed a polar bear! I couldn’t believe my eyes. For a week now we have been going out on to the land hoping, praying, to see one. It was an “awe” inspiring moment. We sat and watched him for a while. We could tell he was really involved in something, perhaps eathing a dead beluga or seal carcass from the bay and dragged it up the cliff.
On our way to lunch it started to snow flurries in the air. It only lasted about 15 minutes or so, but it was so beautiful. I couldn’t believe it snowed while we were up here. We stopped and ate lunch at Gypsey’s deli for lunch….ymm ymmm! Then we took off for some more sight seeing on foot, shopping, the Eskimo museum, and finally dinner at Tundra. We made one more stop at the Hudson Bay for Verdi and his pals; Curious George and Dr. Foo Foo to go swimming. We put them all into a plastic bag (their swimming suit) and sent them on their way. It was a perfect day in Churchill.
Question:
How cold is the Hudson Bay at this time of year?
How does the Hudson Bay effect the weather in Churchill?
Do Polar Bears hibernate?
When are polar bear cubs born?