Audley Seminar: Wildlife of Canada, Alaska & the Arctic
Polar bear in fireweed in Churchill
On Friday I attended another of the travel seminars. This week’s subject was ‘Wildlife of Canada, Alaska & the Arctic’ run by some of the Canada, Alaska & the Arctic Specialists at Audley. I’m fascinated by wildlife and was lucky enough to visit India last year on a work trip and had the thrilling experience of seeing tigers in the wild in Ranthambhore. An experience that will live with me for ever! I have also had the good fortune to go on an Antarctic cruise with Audley and the prolific wildlife I saw then was also similarly memorable. I haven’t yet managed to see the fascinating wildlife in Canada, Alaska & the Arctic though and was very keen to find out more!
Visit our Audley Seminar Programme for more information on seminars coming up or call us on 01993 838 000 to find out more.
In Friday’s talk we discovered the multitude of wildlfe in Canada, Alaska & the Arctic and the best way to see it, as well as the best times to visit and although polar bears and grizzly bears are, with good reason, at the top of a lot of people’s wildlife wishlist when visiting these countries, there are in fact many other wonderful types of wildlife to see as well. These include whales, wolves, Arctic fox, moose, sea otter and many more.
Churchill is one of the best places to see polar bears and you can view the bears from the safety of a tundra buggy, with the largest concentration of polar bears in September and October. It is also worth visiting in the summer when you can see the tundra covered in beautiful wildflowers. Witnessing the breath-taking Aurora Borealis is also a possibility here.
Seeing whales on an Arctic cruise
Another way to see polar bears is by taking an Arctic cruise, when you also have the chance to see lots of other Arctic wildlife and you have daily landings by Zodiac to explore your surroundings.
Viewing whales is also a highlight of a trip to Canada, Alaska & the Arctic, with killer whales, humpbacks, grey, blue and beluga whales witnessed either from land or on a dedicated whale watching boat trip.
Seeing a black bear or a grizzly bear in the wild is an amazing experience, especially when a grizzly bear can grow to 8 feet tall and around 80 stone! I was pleased to hear that safety when viewing bears is paramount! A highlight is watching them fishing for salmon at the world-renowned Brookes Falls.
It was a really fascinating and thought-provoking talk and really whetted my appetite to see all these incredible animals for myself!
Visit our website to find out more about a tailor-made trip to Canada, Alaska & the Arctic or a group tour to see the grizzly and polar bears with Audley, contact one of our dedicated Canada, Alaska & the Arctic specialists on 01993 838 700 or contact us online.
