Join Us on a Polar Bear Ecology Field Course on Hudson Bay!

February 14th, 2023

Have you always wanted to see a polar bear in its natural habitat (from a safe distance)? Or see beluga whales with their newborn calves? Experience an arctic ecosystem with knowledgeable guides? Then consider joining the Great Bear Foundation for a field course in Churchill, Manitoba on Hudson Bay this year!

The Great Bear Foundation offers low-impact, small group field courses on Hudson Bay that prioritize the safety and well-being of the wildlife we observe. As a conservation organization, we offer a high quality educational experience on our trips, coupled with good humor and a fun atmosphere, even as we tackle serious topics such as climate change and the impacts of tourism on wildlife and habitat.

This year, we’re offering two options: a summer field course that coincides with the beluga whales’ calving season in the Churchill River Estuary, and a fall polar bear ecology field course, timed for the peak polar bear migration, just as the ice begins to form on Hudson Bay, when we have the best opportunity to see polar bears.

Both courses offer the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife, but the summer trip prioritizes beluga whales, and the fall trip prioritizes polar bears. In recent years, our groups have seen plenty of polar bears on the summer trip, but if polar bears are your primary interest, opt for the fall trip. Belugas will be gone by the time the sea ice is forming in late October and early November, so if it’s whales that you’re after, sign up for our summer trip. Other species we’ve seen on these trips include red and arctic fox, snowshoe and arctic hares, occasional wolves and caribou, and myriad bird species including gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, snowy owl (more common in fall), bald eagles (more common in summer), and more! Summer on Hudson’s Bay is a birder’s paradise.

Click here for more information on this year’s field courses!

Check out these highlights from our 2022 trips!

Summer 2022 Highlights

Fall 2022 Highlights

See our Archives for all past news and our Blog for recent news.