A Rare Wildlife Experience at World’s Largest Polar Bear Denning Area: Polar Bear Moms and Cubs of Churchill

You can get within 100 meters of polar bear moms and cubs in Churchill on a unique guided trip by Wat’chee Expeditions to the untouched wilderness of the ‘Polar Bear Capital of the World.’

Wapusk National Park protects one of the world’s largest polar bear denning areas, where most Western Hudson Bay cubs are born. Pregnant females den inland, giving birth in late fall and emerging with cubs in February or March to travel toward Hudson Bay.

You can see these polar bear mother and cubs with Wat’chee Expeditions, which holds a rare operating permit from Parks Canada. This is an up-close adventure where you can get within an impressive 100 meters of polar bears and discover their fascinating habits, dens and life cycle.

During your trip, you can enjoy a unique Arctic wildlife viewing experience, with the chance to spot ptarmigans, Arctic foxes, caribou herds, and wolves, and later take in the spectacular sight of the night sky lit by the aurora borealis (weather permitting).

Wat’chee Expeditions’  lodge is located adjacent to Wapusk National Park. It is open for a limited time each year from mid-February to late March.  Wat’chee Expeditions is owned and operated by brothers Michael and Morris Spence.

The lodge is a full-service, non-consumptive haven 40 miles south of Churchill, allowing you to immerse yourself in the beauty of this region. It is a refurbished Navy communications base perched 300 feet atop an ancient beach ridge.

Your experience includes local Indigenous foods such as Caribou, Ptarmigan, and Bannock, as well as learning about Aboriginal culture and the Churchill area.

The 2026 expedition season in the world’s largest polar bear denning area will run from February 18th to March 18th.