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[MinorRoadsKill]

Quote: Originally Posted by olYeller (original)

I'm pretty sure that either way we are at least 10 degrees of latitude south of getting to see polar bears. I don't think they hang out much below the Arctic Circle.
But they do have a Polar bear exhibit, that is probably more authentic than the one at your local zoo.
I still want to drive on the James bay. Maybe to that island up in the bay-Akimiski Island

Most polar bears live between 60 and 80 degrees, except the subgroups found on the Labrador coast and the western shores of Hudson Bay and James Bay. Residents of Moosonee tell me that only one or two bears venture into the town each year. The main range starts about 100 miles north of Moosonee, on Akimiski Island. In summer, this is only accessible by charter plane or barge. In winter, the ice road goes to Attawapiskat, which is on the mainland, in view of the island. Polar Bear Provincial Park, rimming the western shore of the Bays, starts 50 miles further north.

I think that our chances of seeing a wild polar bear are real, but small, unless we hire a guide with snowmobiles in Attawapiskat, which we should arrange ahead of time. Polar bears are quite inconspicuous in winter, and some females, when pregnant, hibernate.

Captive polar bears can be seen year-round in the habitat in Cochrane, which I've visited. The 1-acre habitat is quite similar to what you'll see in a zoo, just a bit larger. The 'swim with the bears' option as a bit of a gimmick, but of course it's a little cold for the humans in winter anyway!