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During November I was running a trip to Churchill in Canada with our main target being Polar Bears. This was my second trip to this fantastic location and as my favourite subject is Polar Bears it was going to be my highlight of the year and it certainly lived up to my expectations. The small town of Churchill was built on the shore of the western Hudson Bay and bang in the middle of a Polar Bear migration point. Each fall Polar Bears head to the shores of the Hudson Bay in anticipation of the bay freezing up for the winter. One of the first places that it does so is along the coast of Churchill and as a result the area supports a good number of bears.

My first trip to Churchill was in 2013 and the bay started to freeze just as we got there. As a result most of the Bears had left to go out onto the ice to hunt for seals and although we saw bears they were certainly thin on the ground. This year was completely different as the ice was later than usual and as a result there were bears everywhere. During our trip we had encountered 115 bears which was an amazing number for the length of time that we were there. We saw our first bear within ten minutes of arriving in Churchill on the bus journey from the airport to the hotel. It was a good sign and certainly a sign of things to come.

We use a combination of transport to get around Churchill and during the first part of the trip we use a special vehicle called a tundra buggy. This mode of transportation is a great way in getting out to the tundra and along to the coast where the majority of the bears are patiently waiting for the ice to form. We use a company called frontiers north that runs the tundra buggy operation and the staff and especially our driver/guide Alex were superb throughout our stay. Getting out early is a big plus for photographers and also the way Alex got us into some great positions was perfect for us to get the best shots. That first excursion onto the tundra resulted in a total of 29 bears, more than the complete total on my first trip. The weather was much kinder to us for this trip too and a glorious afternoon with not a cloud in the sky was a great start to the trip. Polar Bears certainly pop in good light.

The great thing about the Tundra Buggies is they can get you out to where the best spots are to find the bears. We have exclusive use of our own buggy throughout the trip so lots of space which is what is needed for photographers but we can also be patient and play the waiting game. So when we have a potentially good sighting we can wait for things to unfold. We had lots of opportunities for resting bears as they are so relaxed in the company of the tundra buggies. If they are not we move on anyway which is the best way of working. I really like photographing relaxed bears, the pictures are so intimate.

We had a mixture of sunny and cloudy weather for the first part of our trip which is great at getting a varied portfolio. When you get good light in the Arctic it is a real bonus. Usually when get good light you can’t find a subject but with all these bears around it was only a matter of time before we bumped into one.

What I really like about the tundra buggies though is how close certain bears come to them as they are completely relaxed in the company of these vehicles. It is a great way at getting really intimate close-up portraits with a long lens. It would be impossible to do this otherwise without the safety of the buggy.

After a few days with the tundra buggies we then change tact and hire 4×4’s for a couple of days. I do this for this trip because again it gives us the scope of working in a different way which produces a varied set of images. It is also gives us the chance to photograph the smaller subjects that can be found around the town and on the tundra. On the last trip it was a great way in photographing Arctic and Red Foxes. This trip wasn’t as productive for foxes as the lemming numbers had crashed and were at their lowly cycle. It was good though for Bears, especially mothers with young cubs. They were hanging back further from the coast because there were a lot of large males hanging around. We also bumped into few younger bears too.

Our best encounter throughout the trip though was with a young mum and her cub. It was right beside the road and they were relaxed enough for us to get closer with the 4×4’s. They were resting on a frozen lake which had had a fresh dusting of snow from the previous evening. I love these simple images and they make great compositions against the clean background of the fresh snow.

After our time with the 4×4’s we then had one last day on the tundra buggy. By this point it had been such a successful trip with lots of encounters and images in the bag. Me personally I wanted more especially large males sparring which are what attracted me to Churchill in the first place. These large males come together to spar when the conditions are right. Some people say it is to show a test of strength for when they get down to the serious business when the mating season comes around. After witnessing it for the first time I think it just looks like a good bit of fun.

It was a real treat to witness these huge predators showing a more playful side to their nature. Churchill offers so much and over the two trips I have done to this wonderful location it has certainly delivered. I am due to go out again in November this year and I still have a couple of places available. If you like the looks of these images and are interested then please drop me an email. To the folks that have booked on I hope the images have inspired you and you are as excited about going as me because I can’t wait to go again, it is a great place to see this iconic species of the high Arctic. I would to thank the guys that came with me on this trip, it was great group of people and I am pleased it worked out for you. I would also like to thank Alex our driver, how you drive that thing and spot all those bears at the same time is anyone’s guess. I will just finish off with a few of favourites from the trip.

Danny