by Norman A. Rubin

Created on: September 14, 2010

While on a ski vacation in Northern Canada last winter my dear wife exclaimed as we were driving along to our lodging after a enjoyable day coursing down the slopes, "Let's us go see the polar bears. Let us put aside skiing for a couple days and drive to the town of Churchill as I heard it was the Polar Bear capital. According to our Canadian travel booklet - Quote –

"Every October onwards the vicinity of the town of Churchill in Manitoba province is host of 1000 polar bears, more or less. They make their way to the Hudson Bay when the waters freeze over usually around in mid-November where they hunt fur seals, their staple diet. The polar will remain on the ice building up body fat, until the middle of the summer months when the ice starts to break up.''

     Off course I hesitantly approved of her plans reminding my wife there are no through roads to the town and we have to go by plane, leaving our rented car at the airport at Winnipeg. Putting aside my doubts and at the last week of our vacation we put away our skis and we traveled to Churchill, Manitoba to see the polar bears. Well, it was worth it…. Tourists can safely view the polar bears http://www.tundrabuggy.com/ 

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a carnivore and also the largest bear outside of the Kodiak bear of Alaska. Male polar bears may grow 10 feet tall and weigh over 1400 pounds and females reach seven feet and weigh 650 pounds.  In the wild polar bears live up to age 25. Despite what we think, a polar bear's fur is not white.  Each hair is clear hollow tube.  Polar bears look white because each hollow hair reflects the light. On sunny days, it traps the sun's infrared heat and keeps the bear warm at 98 degrees F  (even when they are resting).Polar bear fur is oily and water repellent and their hairs don't mat when wet, allowing the polar bears to easily shake free of water and any ice that may form after swimming. Polar bears have wide front paws with slightly webbed toes that help them swim; they paddle with their front feet and steer with their hind feet.  Paw pads are covered with rough surfaces to help prevent polar bears from slipping up on the ice. http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/polarbear.htm 

The town of Churchill located on the shores of Hudson Bay, about 650 miles north of Winnipeg: the town and the surrounding area are steeped in history as old as Canada. Archaeology in the area shows evidence of

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