Page 10 - Breath of the Bear
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POLAR BEARS









                 Alaska, North Manitoba and Iqaluit, Nunavut in Canada

































                                                                                                              Francoise Gervais
















            Dave Briggs                                                   Arctic Kingdom

          Deep in the frozen tundra of  Alaska and   are areas that are best for viewing polar bears   Utqiagvik  is  300  miles  north  of  the  Arctic
        Canada, where the spirit of the northern lights   but it is highly recommended that it is done   Circle.  The  sun  sets  on  the  town  in  early
        touch the ice, roams a bear the Inuit people   with a guide. These bears have absolutely no   November and doesn’t rise again until the end
        call ‘Nanook”. He is the undisputed ruler of   fear of humans. They are dangerous predators   of January. In between there is just one hour
        his wintery kingdom, where he fears no one.   and do view us as prey.     of twilight. Most visitors arrive in the summer
        Revered, prized and honored, the polar bear                               with twice daily flights from Fairbanks. There
        stands alone at the top of the food chain. As   Kaktovik, Alaska          are several hotels and restaurants and plenty
        large as a Kodiak bear, a male can weigh over   While polar bears spend most of their time   of opportunities to see a wide variety of bird
        1500  pounds.  They  spend  the  vast  majority   on  the  ice,  during  ice-free  periods  between   life including the snowy owl, enormous herds
        of their lives on the sea ice where they exist   August and October they will make their way   of caribou, the arctic fox and of course polar
        to hunt seals by patiently waiting for one to   to land near the  village of Kaktovik,  which   bears.
        come  out  of  the  water  where  they  crush  its   sits on the edge of the 20-million-acre Arctic
        skull with their massive jaws. While seals are   National Wildlife Reserve. It is a small Inupiat   Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
        the preferred meal they have also been known   village that has very limited hotel rooms and   Called the polar bear capitol of the world
        to hunt caribou and beluga whales. Their girth   other amenities.         it is also a whale viewing hotspot, a birder’s
        masks the fact that they are agile swimmers                               paradise and it has been said the northern
        and divers. The white coat is made up of water   Utqiagvik, Alaska        lights will take your breath away. But by far
        repellant hair on top of a thick undercoat that   (formerly known as Barrow)  it is the polar bears that attract the most
        channels the sunlight to their black skin. There   The most northern town in  America,   attention. Thousands of visitors descend on

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