Killer instinct: Polar bear safaris put travelers in touch with a dying breed

Polar bears are the only mammal known to actively hunt humans. Still, every year Canada’s most feared, and revered, residents attract thousands of tourists from around the world.

Not only do these brave souls get within spitting distance of Ursus maritimus — land’s largest predator — they’re happy to pay top dollar to do it.

The fact that polar bears are a dying breed is part of the allure. At earth’s current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, they could be extinct by 2100. So, whether you simply love wildlife or you’re a last chance tourist, now is the time to see the 1,000-pound carnivore the Inuit call “nanuk.”

Canada boasts around 16,000 polar bears, approximately 60% of the world’s total population. With as many bears as taxpayers, Churchill, Manitoba (pop. 900), bills itself as the “polar bear capital of the world.” It’s not unheard of to see bears Dumpster diving downtown. But the best sightings occur in the bears’ natural habitat, accessible by tundra buggy.

Equipped with five-and-a-half-foot-tall tires, these 40-passenger off-road vehicles are designed for circumventing snow and ice. Most tundra buggy tours are part of multi-day itineraries including accommodations and meals (from $1,000 per person per night).

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Frontiers North , however, offers a one-day experience for $1,527. While Manitoba’s polar bear season is traditionally in the fall and aurora borealis season in the winter, this year Lazy Bear Expeditions is offering its first package combining both bucket list experiences.

The five-night itinerary (from $4,500 per person) also includes a helicopter safari and a stop at polar bear jail.

Pro tip: “Snag a window seat near the rear of the vehicle,” Kit Muir, Media Content Specialist at Travel Manitoba, said. “When it’s time to stop, you’ll be the first onto the outdoor viewing platform that’s at the back.”

In 1994, Churchill Wild founder Mike Reimer turned heads when he opened a lodge offering the world’s first walking polar bear safaris. Thirty years later, it’s still the only remote Arctic luxury eco-lodge taking travelers out on foot.

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Days are spent trekking in the tundra, staying at least 330 feet away from these killers (there have only been about two dozen confirmed fatalities since 1870).

Still, guides pack bear spray, pistols loaded with “screamer” and “banger” ammo, and shotguns. Nights are spent at the fenced-in Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World property located on Hudson Bay’s scenic Kaska Coast.

At $11,700 per person for six nights, it’s not cheap. But freelance photographer and travel writer Susan Portnoy said it’s worth it for the eye-level access: “Your images will be more dynamic than shooting down from a vehicle.”

Pro tip: Book a November trip if you also want to see cloud wolves — who have no fear of humans.

Thanks to melting sea ice, Canadian waters have never been more accessible. While most arctic cruises don’t specialize in polar bear viewing, sightings are common. Guests aboard the National Geographic Resolution on July 31 saw seven bears — including a mother with two playful cubs.

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Unlike land–based safaris in Manitoba, cruises often include stops in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, home to 90% of Canada’s polar bears.

But because these destinations are so remote, you’ll need more dough and PTO. Lindblad Expeditions ’ 24-day High Arctic Archipelago voyage starts at $44,339.

Pro tip: Keep your eyes peeled for narwhal — the unicorn of the sea.

Feeling lazy? Book Natural Habitat Adventures ’ seven-day Tundra Lodge Trip (from $10,495 per person). This custom-built 32-berth train-style hotel on monster truck-sized tires is only open in October and November. But due to its mobile nature, it’s always parked where the bears are.

Capture all your Insta content from the comfort of the lodge’s dining car, lounge, and outdoor viewing platforms.

Pro tip: Don’t expect luxurious lie-ins. You’re in for 3 a.m. wake-up calls when special sightings occur.

“Watching the Northern Lights through the window and having access to polar bear viewing opportunities 24 hours a day wins out over a warm shower and a fluffy bed,” said Jennifer Weinberg, a travel blogger.

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