The real thing.

A REMINDER, CLICK ON ANY PHOTOS YOU WANT TO SEE IN MORE DETAIL TO ENLARGE THEM.

The next morning we were all up and buzzing and on the road early.  The tundra vehicles were parked just down the road but we weren't able to walk.  We had to be driven down in case we were confronted by a polar bear.  Tundra vehicles are big clumsy looking vehicles.  These particular ones are ex fire trucks which have been stripped down to the essentials, fitted with the cabin and huge tyres.  They have a heated cabin and a viewing deck on the back and they slowly lumber around the designated areas.  They're also high off the ground providing safety from polar bears if they show interest in the smells coming from the vehicles.

Our coordinator, Mike, had repeated the possibility of not seeing any polar bears and reinforced the fact that other animals in the area are just as important in the local environment of western Hudsons
Bay.  Who did he think he was fooling?  At that point I was totally disinterested in skinny little arctic foxes.  I had come half way around the world to see big, beautiful polar bears.  After an appropriate amount of tension and build up, something was spotted.  Two white lumps  on the horizon.   They seemed to be walking together and then parting; sniffing through the bushes and sniffing the air.  They were two males waiting at Churchill for the water to freeze.

Mike told us to watch because something might happen.  Ten minutes pass and the bears saunter around, back and forth.  Mike warns us that this is a polar bear heat wave and the bears may not be too energetic.  Then out of the blue, they start sparing.  Two big boys playing at being boss.  Such a fabulous surprise.  The reaction of the group on the bus was was a huge "Ahhhh!"

I won't bore you silly with minute details of every sighting but each one was equally exciting and had us all on edge.  Such a privilege to be so close to these ancient and majestic creatures.

More photos in the next post.