The main diet of Polar Bears is seals, primarily ringed seals, but they also catch other seal species and occasionally kill walruses, belugas and narwhals.
To hunt seals, bears must wait until the ice freezes on the bay. Though they are good swimmers, they need to climb out of the water and onto ice to rest and remain warm. Churchill is positioned at the mouth of the Churchill River, an area where fresh water enters the bay. The river inflows lower the salt content of the water, allowing the ice to freeze here sooner than it does in other areas of the bay.
We rolled along on the tundra in our "tundra buggy", dry, warm and comfortable with a good view of the area as our guide searched for Polar Bears known to be in the area. We were very excited to see a female and her cubs of the year, known as "coys".
The female polar bear fasts while nursing her cubs, living entirely on the blubber she has stored in her body. She conserves her energy by resting and moving slowly and deliberately. Her cubs also need rest because of their young age, but they are well-nourished by her fat-rich milk.
At one point, the female stood up to her full length and sniffed the air, an incredible sight. It was speculated that she was checking the air for the scent of a male.
Photo credit: Billie Cantwell
Male Polar Bears will kill cubs. While females can sometimes fight off a male attack, it is much safer for her to avoid areas where males are present.
This is the eleventh post in a series on my
journey to Churchill, Manitoba, to see Polar Bears including a visit to
Riding Mountain National Park. Click the
journey to Churchill link to see all the posts. The most recent post will appear first. When you reach the end of the page, click "older post" to continue with the series.
Link to my
Polar Bear video
Hudson Bay Buggies and Bears with Rail Travel Tours
Learn about Polar Bears
Hudson Bay
Eskimo Museum
History of Churchill from Churchill Science
Churchill History
the impact of
sea ice decline
They are spectacular creatures and the images are marvelous. To see them in the wilds like this, just had to be amazing. Love the mother bear standing up, wow she is huge. I am thinking that you really enjoyed all of this journey~
ReplyDeleteI felt very priviledged to be able to make that journey and to have the good fortune to see a sow with cubs. It was spectacular to watch her.
DeleteThat must have been so exciting to see the mother and her cubs. I loved watching your video and seeing the pictures....Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janice. That was my first attempt at video capture and I learned a lot, Hoping I don't forget it before I use it again! I was very excited to see the mother and cubs and to be there in person. Wonderful experience.
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