A polar bear basks in the cold with visions of ice on the Hudson Bay. Bonnie Chartier photo.
Polar bear cleaning his fur in the fresh snow. Leah Okin Magowan photo.
A polar bear lounging in the refreshing Churchill snow. Alex De Vries-Magnifico photo.
Nursing polar bear cubs. Jeff Klofft photo.
Only five months to polar bear season so we all have some time to relax. Especially these polar bears from past seasons. Really great shots of the King of the north!
What’s it like living in Arviat near the Arctic Circle? The town of 2,500 – half are under the age of 19- coexists with polar bears roaming the streets and coast of the Hudson Bay. Leo Ikhakik helps keep the townspeople safe from polar bears by patrolling the area at night on his snowmobile. “It’s very scary to be out during the polar bear season”, says Leo’s daughter Lorraine, mother of six children. As global warming reduces the amount and duration of Arctic sea ice, the main hunting ground for the bears, the towns along the Hudson Bay like Arviat and Churchill see more year-round numbers of polar bears.
Great White Bear Tour’s latest monster build. Krys Walczak photo.
Rear view of the new Great White Bear Tours all-terrain vehicle. Krys Walczak photo.
Great White Bear and Anything Custom has done it again. They created this mini monster ATV, “Sherpa”, with a top speed of 28mph on land and 3.8mph in the water. The Walkoski crew is testing it out as they drive to Churchill. They left Gillam late last night and we will update you on the journey as soon as we hear. The machine will be used throughout the year but mainly during the polar bear season in October and November in Churchill.
Come on this relaxing snowmobile ride around Churchill and out toward Cape Merry and the port. The sun dogs are amazing in this short spin around the outskirts of the polar bear capital of the world on the shores of the Hudson Bay! The footage was captured with a Go Pro Hero 4 on a Yamaha RS Vector GT in -40 C frigid temperatures. Enjoy the ride!
Polar bear sow and two 2-year-old cubs. Brad Josephs photo.
Despite frequent heart-wrenching images of starving polar bears in the news recently, populations of polar bears are apparently thriving in the Nunatsiavut region of northern Labrador. This is some welcome good news on the status of polar bears in the Arctic.
Based on a quota of 12 polar bears from licenses granted this year by the Nunatsiavut government, wildlife manager Jim Goudie reported that the Inuit quota was filled within the initial seven days of the season.
“There are lots of signs of bears,” he told CBC Radio’s Labrador Morning. “Lots of bears and a continuation of what we’ve seen over the last three or four years.”
According to Goudie, a 2007 survey showed there were around 880 polar bears in the northern Quebec and Labrador regions while the revised numbers recorded show 2,152. This increase is a dramatic rise in the population. Researchers are involved in a two – year study that is indicating even more positive numbers.
“You can go wherever you want to within Nunatsiavut or the Labrador Inuit settlement area to harvest your polar bear,” he said. “Anywhere outside of Nunatsiavut boundaries, the harvest would be illegal.”
To keep track of polar bear pelts that are often sold to wealthy suitors from Asia to Canada, the furs are embedded with a computer chip validating when and where it was taken as well as proof it was acquired through a legal hunt and not poached. Any meat that is not used by the hunters must be donated.
“I think our polar bear population is very, very healthy,” he said. “The Davis Strait polar bear population is probably one of the most healthy in Canada, and certainly in the world.”
With regards to other populations in general, Goudie says most are in good standing and only a few are declining. Still, the fear propaganda is in the news and can be misleading.
Goudie highlights a National Geographic post showing it first look a starving polar bear, but in reality, the polar bear was sick and not long for life.
“It’s an easy story to put out there, that polar bears are in massive trouble. Sometimes I have to bite my tongue or keep my fingers off the keyboard when I see those social media posts,” he said.
Hopes are high that all polar bear populations in the Arctic will continue to thrive and adapt to a warmer climate in the coming years.
Cabin below the magical northern lights in Churchill. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
What a shot of this cabin in Churchill by Alex De Vries – Magnifico! The northern lights above Churchill are one of the most incredible experiences of the north! Enjoy!
