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Churchill is a subarctic port town in northern Manitoba, Canada, on the west shore of Hudson Bay. It is famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leading to the nickname "Polar Bear Capital of the World". Churchill has a very harsh subarctic climate with long, frigid winters (October to May) and short, mild summers. The shallow Hudson Bay freezes over in the winter, eliminating maritime transit but enabling polar bears to travel deep onto the bay to prey on seals.
Polar bears were once considered solitary animals that would avoid contact with other bears. Around Churchill, however, some bears are more tolerant of each other until the bay freezes. Then, it is every bear for itself to hunt seals. Starting in the 1980s, the town developed a sizable tourism industry focused on the migration habits of the polar bear.
Our first trip to Churchill was in 2007, relatively late in the season when the landscape was covered in snow. We made this trip in the early season to obtain more colorful, contrasting backgrounds to the bears.
Polar bears were once considered solitary animals that would avoid contact with other bears. Around Churchill, however, some bears are more tolerant of each other until the bay freezes. Then, it is every bear for itself to hunt seals. Starting in the 1980s, the town developed a sizable tourism industry focused on the migration habits of the polar bear.
Our first trip to Churchill was in 2007, relatively late in the season when the landscape was covered in snow. We made this trip in the early season to obtain more colorful, contrasting backgrounds to the bears.
© Natural Light Photography
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