2010

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Arctic Coast Polar Bears in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

We're excited to offer this opportunity to see and photograph up to 20-30 polar bears at a time in a unique setting on the edge of the Arctic Refuge. Each fall large numbers of polar bears swim to Barter Island from their summer hunting grounds on the pack ice of the Beaufort Sea, drawn by an enticing food source provided by local Inupiat Eskimo hunters. Fall is whaling season, when traditional whaling crews go out in open boats on a hunt that is sacred to their culture.  When a whale is harvested, the whole community in the small Barter Island village of Kaktovik takes part in the butchering and sharing of the bounty. The remains of the whale carcass is then dragged down to the "whale bone yard" at the end of a long spit to be shared with the bears.  This "bone yard" is the setting that provides a remarkable opportunity to safely observe polar bears feeding and interacting--up close and personal!--from the safety and warmth of a vehicle.

We'll fly from Fairbanks to Kaktovik and will stay at Waldo Arms, a classic "Bush" hotel owned and operated by our old friend Walt Audi--legendary bush pilot and long-time Kaktovik resident--and his partner Merlyn. With a vehicle at our disposal and a local guide accompanying us, we'll spend our time watching and photographing bears, as we keep an eye out for eiders and other waterfowl.This time of year also provides opportunities to see the Northern Lights in the evenings.

Trip Details
We'll fly from Fairbanks to the village of Kaktovik on Barter Island on Day 1. After checking into our rooms at Waldo Arms, we'll head to the end of the island for polar bear watching. We'll have a flexible schedule for the 4 days we're here--with plenty of time to watch and photograph polar bears and look for birds, as well as explore this fascinating edge-of-the-earth community and visit with the locals. We'll plan on flying back to Fairbanks in late afternoon of Day 4, weather permitting.

Trip costs include flights to and from Kaktovik, 3 nights lodging and food for 4 days at Waldo Arms, transportation in Kaktovik and guide service.

Since the climate changes affecting the polar bears are also making weather and fog conditions less predictable, we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance for this trip to accommodate for factors beyond our control, including schedule changes and any additional costs for food, lodging, etc. that you might incur beyond those covered in our trip price.

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