In October 2004, we visited Churchill, Manitoba, in Canada, for four days. Churchill is known as the world capital of polar bears. For a few weeks in October and November every year, the bears gather there while they wait for ice to form on the surface of Hudson's Bay. Once the ice is solid, they wander out and spend the winter gorging themselves on seals, returning to land only in the spring when the ice starts to melt. We were lucky enough to get very close to the bears, and to some other unique wildlife too, and to be able to take the pictures you see here - and nearly 400 others too. We stayed at the Lazy Bear Lodge, which we strongly recommend if you can find the time to visit Churchill.
To see a larger version of a picture, just click on it. If you'd like to see them at their original resolution (3500 by 2330 pixels), ask me.
All photographs are Copyright © 2004, John Harper.