NAVC Polar Bear Expeditions

Dates
October 30, 2010 – November 5, 2010

Chris Bonner, DVM, DACZM and Carol Walton, DVM
24 hours of RACE-approved veterinary CE

Blog: NAVC Polar Bear Expedition 2010

Itinerary

Day 1 – Saturday, October 30th
Fly to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Check into the Sheraton Four Points Hotel located conveniently across the street from the airport. In the early evening, Drs. Chris Bonner and Carol Walton will give an introductory lecture followed by a welcome dinner.

Day 1 & 2: Into the Artic

Day 2 - Sunday, October 31st  
Depart for Churchill, Manitoba, Canada ("Polar Bear Capital of the World")
Following breakfast, we’ll depart on an early morning flight to the small town of Churchill, located on the western shore of Hudson Bay at a latitude of 58 degrees. One can only travel to Churchill by train, plane, or ship as there are no roads that go to Churchill. Upon arrival mid-morning, we will embark on a town and area tour, including visits to the famous polar bear "jail", Cape Merry, Prince of Wales Fort, and the Eskimo Museum. We’ll stop for lunch along the way and by mid-afternoon we’ll check into our hotel, the Bear Country Inn. There will be free time until dinner, which will be at one of the local restaurants.

Day 1 & 2: Into the Artic

Day 3 - Monday, November 1st
Exploring the Arctic Tundra
Today will be our first full day on the Tundra. We will be in a "tundra buggy", which is much like a huge bus on very large wheels! Each person will have their own seat with room for camera gear next to them. There is also a bathroom and a heater on the buggy, as well as an outside back deck. We will spend the day on the tundra looking for polar bears, arctic foxes, snowy owls, arctic hares, and ptarmigan. Other possible sightings are wolves and caribou! The polar bears often come right up to the buggy so you’ll have wonderful photographic opportunities and you can move around the buggy freely when it is stopped. A lunch of soup and sandwiches will be served at midday, along with hot and cold drinks. We will have informal lecture material presented all during the day on the tundra. We will return back to Churchill around 5:00pm and after dinner we’ll have a stunning slide presentation by a local photographer on the seasons of Churchill.

Day 3: 32 Polar Bears & Counting

Day 4 - Tuesday, November 2nd
Metis Indians and Dog Sledding
In the morning, we will have a cultural program with an elderly Metis (Indian) woman who grew up as a fur-trapper’s daughter. It’s absolutely fascinating to hear her tell stories of her childhood and it seems like listening to someone from the 1800s! Following lunch, we’ll have a dog sledding program where we learn about the dogs and have an opportunity to go on a short sled ride through the woods.

Day 4: Dog Sledding

Day 5 - Wednesday, November 3rd
Full Day on the Tundra Buggy
Today will be our second full day on the Tundra Buggy.

Day 5: Temperatures Drop in Churchill

Day 6 - Thursday, November 4th
Parks Canada Museum and Depart for Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
We will have a morning visit to Parks Canada, a nice museum built inside a renovated train depot. We’ll watch two videos, one on polar bears and the other on the fur trapping history of the region. We return to Winnipeg afterwards, arriving in the afternoon. We overnight at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel with a Farewell Dinner and a final slide show.

Day 6: Last Day in the Artic

Day 7 - Friday, November 5th
Everyone departs for home.