Page 12 - Breath of the Bear

POLAR BEARS

Alaska, North Manitoba and Iqaluit, Nunavut in Canada

Francoise Gervais

Dave Briggs Arctic Kingdom

Deep in the frozen tundra of Alaska and are areas that are best for viewing polar bears, Utqiagvik is 300 miles north of the Arctic
Canada, where the spirit of the northern lights but it is highly recommended that it is done Circle. The sun sets on the town in early
touch the ice, roams a bear the Inuit people with a guide. These bears have absolutely no November and doesn’t rise again until the end
call “Nanook.” He is the undisputed ruler of fear of humans. They are dangerous predators of January. In between there is just one hour
his wintery kingdom, where he fears no one. and do view us as prey. of twilight. Most visitors arrive in the summer
Revered, prized, and honored, the polar bear with twice daily flights from Fairbanks. There
stands alone at the top of the food chain. As Kaktovik, Alaska are several hotels and restaurants and plenty
large as a Kodiak bear, a male can weigh over While polar bears spend most of their time of opportunities to see a wide variety of bird
1500 pounds. They spend the vast majority of on the ice. During ice-free, periods between life, including the snowy owl, enormous herds
their lives on the sea ice where they exist to August and October, they will make their way of caribou, the arctic fox, and of course, polar
hunt seals by patiently waiting for one to come to land near the village of Kaktovik, which bears.
out of the water where they crush its skull sits on the edge of the 20-million-acre Arctic
with their massive jaws. While seals are the National Wildlife Reserve. It is a small Inupiat Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
preferred meal, they have also been known village that has very limited hotel rooms and Called the polar bear capitol of the world,
to hunt caribou and beluga whales. Their girth other amenities. it is also a whale viewing hotspot, a birder’s
masks the fact that they are agile swimmers paradise, and it has been said the northern
and divers. The white coat is made up of water Utqiagvik, Alaska lights will take your breath away. But by far,
repellant hair on top of a thick undercoat that (formerly known as Barrow) it is the polar bears that attract the most
channels the sunlight to their black skin. There The most northern town in America, attention. Thousands of visitors descend on

10