When we boarded the tiny, run-down plane in the far north of Canada, we weren’t sure if the butterflies in our stomachs were from the fear of flying in such a small plane or the excitement for the adventure to come.
In just one hour, we’d be landing in a remote camp along the Hudson Bay, where we’d spend the next 5 days hoping to cross paths with the Arctic’s apex predator – polar bears.
We’ve been lucky enough to embark on a number of incredible wildlife encounters, from swimming with orcas to visiting a family of wild gorillas, but something made me think that this would be one of our most incredible adventures yet, and looking back, I can say that feeling was completely correct.
The Arctic Kingdom camp is a collection of 6 small cabins set along the Arctic’s prime polar bear migration path. Our cabin was decorated perfectly to match the vibe of the experience with polar bear pillows, polar bear wall art, and a lot of quirks to remind you just how remote this camp really is. Our ‘sink’ was a metal mixing bowl with a hot water dispenser, and our shower pulled water from a nearby frozen river. Besides the cabins for sleeping, there was a common area cabin where we would eat and relax together.
We barely had time to settle in because, just as we were heading to the dining cabin, our guides announced that there was a polar bear just outside of camp. And by just outside the camp, they meant less than 10 feet from the fence.
Our expert Inuit guides, Moses and Cam, gave us a real-time tutorial of how to handle a polar bear encounter, using the ‘red light green light’ method: moving closer only when the polar bear was moving towards us and stopping when they stopped.
I can’t think of a better word to describe this experience than jaw-dropping, and even that seems like an understatement. For over 30 minutes, this polar bear stared as curiously at us as we were looking at it and played around in the snow. It was so close that we could hear the polar bear breathe as we looked into each other’s eyes.
The emotions of this encounter were so insane that we would’ve been perfectly content not to see another polar bear the whole trip, but just as the first polar bear wandered away, ANOTHER polar bear approached the camp. This magical place wasn’t just a polar bear migration route, it was a polar bear highway!
For the next 3 days, it felt like we were living inside a National Geographic documentary. We woke up each morning to the chef, Mish, whipping up incredible dishes like fluffy pancakes and eggs benedict to fuel us on our adventures. Our afternoons were spent taking hundreds of photos of each polar bear that came our way and the snow-white arctic fox that decided to make itself at home in our camp. We filled the polar bear-less hours with walks outside the camp and games of Canada’s favorite sport, hockey. When our fingers were too numb to move, we’d go inside the common room to warm up with soup and coffee by the fire.
On the second to last day, we woke up to what could only be described as a dream spoken into existence – a mom and two polar bear cubs. The cubs were so curious, wandering closer to our camp and making little noises like they were trying to tell us hello. This perfect little family stationed themselves right outside our camp as the babies rolled around in the snow and shared a snack with their mom. Kara’s eyes filled with tears, which could’ve been from the ice-cold wind or the indescribable experience of watching these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
For those who know us, it will be no surprise that we decided to end this magical trip with a polar plunge in the icy Hudson Bay. It seemed to us that this was the best way to become one with the polar bears. After doing polar plunges in both Antarctica and the North Pole, we consider ourselves polar plunge experts, but the adrenaline rush we get each time never gets old.
On our final night, as if to bid us farewell, the northern lights put on a grand finale. The vibrant ribbons of green dancing across the night sky were some of the most incredible we’d seen in our lives – well worth standing outside in the bitter cold for.
It’s hard to describe this experience in a way that does justice to just how amazing it was to come face-to-face with all wild polar bears. Check out our video documenting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience it with your own eyes – we promise it’ll be well worth your time.