Polar Bears: A Season in Photos
Lead Scientist Cate Collins shares some of the stunning photos captured by our photographers this season.
What an incredible season of one-day expeditions to Churchill to see polar bears in their natural habitat. Every expedition was a little different, but we were lucky to have incredible sightings on every trip this season.
We always have a wildlife photographer on board, which takes the stress out of the expedition for our guests – you can take pictures if you want to, but you also receive a whole folder of incredible shots from the day. Our photographers are shooting almost non-stop, and across our six expeditions this season, they captured more than 25,000 photos! Let’s take a look at some of the best shots of 2025 and the incredible behaviours we observed.
October 25, 2025 – Edmonton Expedition
Our Edmonton expedition was the first of the season. It was a warm fall in Churchill, with no snow on the ground, allowing us to see the bears among beautiful grasses and willows, framed by bright fall colours.
Photographer Joel Weatherly was on board, and captured this stunning image of a bear walking through the grasses.
Photographer: Joel Weatherly
Encounters with moms and cubs are often brief, but on this day, we were lucky to sit and have lunch next to a sleeping bear, only to realize partway through that her cub was snuggled up next to her. The cub started to get restless, waking up the mama bear who then nursed her 11-month-old cub right next to our buggies. What a tender moment to witness.
Photographer: Joel Weatherly
October 31, 2025 – Calgary Expedition
A light dusting of snow made for a beautiful day in the Churchill Special Wildlife Management Area. Photographer Colleen Gara came prepared with the biggest backpack I’ve ever seen, packed with every lens and plenty of backup batteries.
In the fall, polar bears conserve energy while they wait for the return of the sea ice, their platform for hunting seals. So, naturally, they spend a lot of time sleeping. This bear was nestled in the willows taking a well earned nap.
Photographer: Colleen Gara
Colleen also loves photographing birds, especially common ravens, so it’s no surprise she captured this incredible photo of a ptarmigan. Take a look at its feathery feet. They act like snowshoes and help keep the bird’s feet warm throughout the Arctic winter.
Photographer: Colleen Gara
November 7, 2025 – Hamilton Expedition 1
By early November, more snow covered the ground in Churchill, and ice had begun to form. Photographer Pablo Baković went above and beyond, capturing photos while also helping guests out with their cameras throughout the day.
With cooler weather, we saw increased bear activity, including an epic sparring match between two bears. In the fall, polar bears will spar, or play fight, to test their strength ahead of mating season. While polar bears are solitary while out on the ice, in the fall they often come together to socialize, as there is no food or mates to fight over.
Photographer: Pablo Baković
Fall is also the end of their fasting season, which typically lasts from July to December, when polar bears go many months without a meal. One bear was lucky this year and managed to catch a seal, likely trapped when the tide went out. We observed a bear feeding on the remains of the carcass.
Photographer: Pablo Baković
November 8, 2025 – Hamilton Expedition 2
This expedition brought blizzard-like conditions, with strong winds and blowing snow, but the bear sightings did not disappoint. Photographer Les Stegenga was on board to capture the action.
While trundling out to the prime polar bear viewing area in the tundra buggies, we spotted a bear hunkered down and sleeping, sheltering itself from the wind. Notice the nearby spruce trees – winds from the north are strong so they have few branches on the windward side.
Photographer: Les Stegenga
Les also captured a beautiful portrait of this bear. Polar bears have small ears and tails, which helps minimize heat loss in cold environments. This follows Allen’s rule, a biological principle that applies to many Arctic animals, not just polar bears.
Photographer: Les Stegenga
November 9, 2025 – Ottawa Expedition 1
We were met with a clear day in Churchill, and our tundra buggies were able to travel onto ice that had been inaccessible even days earlier. Photographer Pablo Baković returned, along with Will Hosier, who focused on capturing moments of the guests on board.
Early in the day, we spotted a cross fox, and Pablo captured an incredible image. Cross foxes are red foxes with a darker coat pattern caused by higher levels of melanin in their coat.
Photographer: Pablo Baković
Later in the day, Will captured this beautiful image of this mama and her cub as the sun was starting to set. Polar bear moms are extremely protective, keeping their cubs safe from male bears and other threats. You can see the mother’s raised head as she stays alert to her surroundings.
Photographer: Will Hosier
November 11, 2025 – Ottawa Expedition 2
For our final expedition of 2025, much more ice had formed along the shore of Hudson Bay. While it still wasn’t enough for bears to fully resume hunting, we did observe several bears out on the early ice.
Photographer Pablo Baković captured a rare moment known as “buggy love,” where a curious polar bear places its paws on a tundra buggy to investigate what’s inside. This bear was likely a young female, around three or four years old. Polar bears are sexually dimorphic, meaning males are much larger than females, and since she was not yet fully grown, her paws didn’t reach too high up the buggy. What an experience!
Photographer: Pablo Baković
At the end of the day, just as we were leaving to head back to the buggy launchpad, another driver flagged us down over the radio. Thankfully we stopped and were rewarded with an incredible sight: a mother bear and her two cubs-of-the-year walking right past our buggies. They even paused momentarily to pose.
Photographer: Pablo Baković
With so many talented photographers and tens of thousands of photos, this is only a small selection of the unforgettable moments captured from this season. Looking back through these images has been a wonderful way to reflect on the incredible wildlife encounters we experienced on the sub-Arctic tundra.
Until next year!
About Gold Star Canadian Tours
At Gold Star Canadian Tours, we focus on providing the worlds best travel experiences to authentically Canadian destinations. Our flagship tour is a convenient 1-day Polar Bear Expedition with dedicated non-stop charter flights from major airports directly to Churchill, Manitoba. With Gold Star Canadian Tours, the wonders of the Arctic are closer than ever. Your Adventure Awaits!
