120 national geographic traveller
Found in the remote corners of northwestern British columbia, the white
Kermode or spirit bear has long been part of the oral traditions and history of
the local indigenous people. located in the heart of the aptly named great Bear
rainforest and only accessible by boat or air, the magnificent princess royal
island offers visitors the chance to spot these beautiful white bears, known as
m o sk g m’ol in the local First nations language. the Kermode bear is not an albino
or polar bear, rather a pale variation of the more common black bear, and they
make up approximately 10 per cent of the black bear population found on the
island. the best time of year to see them is from late summer into autumn, when
both they and the populations of grizzly bears are drawn to rivers where salmon
are returning to their hatching grounds.
located on the western shore of hudson
Bay on the edge of the arctic, churchill is
believed to have been a seasonal hunting
ground for local inuit people hundreds
of years before european settlement.
Despite its long history as a fort and
trading post, most visitors now visit the
town in northern Manitoba because of
its unusually high population of polar
bears. During october and november,
the bears return from their summer
habitat on the tundra to hudson Bay to
hunt seals on the frozen sea ice that forms
each winter. it is a sight to behold as males
engage in mock battles and cubs tumble
over each other in the snow. visitors to
the region travel on raised all-terrain
vehicles across the frozen landscapes to
churchill’s best polar bear viewing areas
and experience close encounters with
these magnificent animals.Polar bears
WhERE: churchill, maNitoba
WhEn: october aNd NovemberWhERE: Great bear raiNforest, british columbia
WhEn: a uGust to octoberSpirit bears