Netflix

Real-life polar bears, beluga whales, and borealis in Churchill, Manitoba.

Netflix’s new documentary series Predators takes incredible shots at the world’s top carnivores, including Churchill’s polar bears in Manitoba, Canada. Churchill is known as the polar bear capital of the world (and beluga capital as well), and you can easily see both polar bears in the wild when you visit this subarctic Canadian town.

Churchill “Predators” on Netflix: Polar bears, beluga whales and borealis

Predators, which will be released in the United States in September 2023, is a documentary series narrated by Tom Hardy. It is a co-production between Netflix and Sky Nature in the UK (released in the UK in December 2022). Each of his five episodes in the first season focuses on one predator, including a lion, cheetah, and wild dog in Central Africa, a puma in Chilean Patagonia, and a polar bear in subarctic Canada. With stunning footage, Hardy explains the challenges of being at the top of the food chain, especially as climate change makes these animals’ habitats less viable.

Episode 4 of “Predators” is about a polar bear that spends its winters on the sea ice of Hudson Bay and its summers on the coast around the town of Churchill, Manitoba. There are 600 to 700 bears in western Hudson Bay, and so far, 2023 is shaping up to be a record year for polar bears. According to Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development’s latest report (September 11, 2023), conservation officers have reported 116 polar bear encounters so far this year, which means bears have come into contact with people and towns 116 times. They got too close to it and in some cases had to warn them. Either scare them off with flares or temporarily isolate them in a polar bear containment facility.

High season for Churchill polar bears is October and November. As winter approaches, more and more bears gather on the shores of Hudson Bay, waiting for sea ice to form and heading out to hunt seals, their main food source.

Polar bears are the largest carnivores on land, with adult males weighing between 775 and 1,300 pounds and growing up to 10 feet tall when standing on their hind legs. As soon as the sea ice becomes thick enough to support the bear’s weight, all but the pregnant mother leave land far away.

Polar Bears International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting wild polar bears and their sea ice habitats, explains how pregnant polar bears dig snow caves on beaches and often give birth to twins in December. It explains. Polar bear episodes in Predators begin with a brand new member of the family emerging from a snow cave and continue until their full emergence in the spring, when the cubs begin life outdoors and intensive survival training. Masu.

This episode also features the beluga whales that visit Churchill every summer. “Predators” also includes rare footage of an enterprising bear who learned to hunt cetaceans to supplement his favorite winter food: seals.

Not only is Churchill one of the few places in the world where you can see both polar bears and beluga whales, but the documentary also shows the beautiful Northern Lights dancing in the night sky over Churchill. In Churchill, the town is located in the middle of the aurora oval belt, so the aurora can be seen 300 nights a year (yes, you can see it even in the summer when there are only a few hours of darkness).

At Churchill, a polar bear might sniff your feet (or your phone)

So how can you safely view a 10-foot-tall apex predator? From inside a Tundra buggy.

Frontiers North Adventures is a certified B Corporation and operates polar bear tours in Churchill in Tundra buggies. Tundra buggies are low-impact all-terrain vehicles designed to traverse tundra streams and snowdrifts and protect wildlife viewers from polar bears. The Tundra buggy is about 14 feet tall and the top of the tires is almost 6 feet. Passengers can sit high above the tundra and watch and photograph polar bears and other wildlife through their windows.

A zoom lens might be best for photographing a polar bear, or a giant white predator might come right up to investigate your tundra buggy. Frontiers North Adventures calls this encounter “Buggy Love.”

Passengers can also stand on the outdoor balcony of the Tundra buggy. Sometimes a curious bear will walk directly below and stand on its hind legs to smell the shoes of the surprised human above. Would you want only a metal grate on the floor to separate you from a polar bear’s curious nose and paws (or your cell phone)? It might not make for the most photogenic shot, but it’s a thrill you’ll never forget, and photo proof You might not believe it without it.

Frontiers North Adventures is currently testing two electric versions of the Tundra buggy, modified from the original diesel power. Not only do battery-powered EVs reduce greenhouse gases, but they also operate nearly silently in the wilderness. Frontiers North Adventures has partnered with Polar Bears International to also offer a research vehicle named the Tundra Buggy One. Among all the research equipment on board is a Polar Bear Cam. Watch his live video and offseason highlights on his website at Explore.org to get a taste of what to expect when you visit Churchill.

Summer in Churchill: See beluga whales and polar bears

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