Few animal species have captured the human imagination quite like the bear - in all its forms! Encountering these creatures in the wild is amongst the most exhilarating wildlife experiences to be had in the northern hemisphere, whether it’s sighting a polar bear while on an expedition cruise into the Arctic, a close encounter with a brown bear from a secluded hide in the wild taiga of northern Finland, or watching “grizzlies” in hot pursuit of the salmon run on the wild fringes of British Columbia.

Brown bear viewing in Finland
In the north of Finland, close to the Russian border, Martinselkonen Wildlife Centre is located in a stunning region of dense woodland. This is one of the best places in Finland to see and photograph brown bears in their natural habitat, and the setting for our bear-viewing tours. The bear-viewing season begins in May and lasts until the end of the summer. The bear-viewing takes place in comfortable and discreet wooden hides, where you sleep overnight.

Grizzly bears in western Canada
Grizzly bears begin to appear in Canadian British Columbia in April, feeding in order to replace the body mass lost during their long winter hibernation. Towards the end of August, the salmon start their journey up river and the bears begin to fish for their favourite food! In British Columbia, you can choose to stay in the remote lodges of Knight Inlet or Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, both of which offer excellent bear viewing safaris as well as other wildlife and nature activities.

Polar bear tracking in northern Canada
Polar bears are typically found in Churchill, Canada year-round; however the highest concentrations occur in October and November as they wait for Hudson Bay to freeze. A polar bear viewing tour in Canada will see you travel in a comfortable, mobile ‘Polar Rover’, which enables you to get up close for extraordinary polar bear viewing opportunities. The guides are extremely competent, enhancing your experience at every turn.

Polar cruises to Arctic Svalbard
Polar bears can also be sighted in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, formally part of Norway. Polar bear viewing in this region typically takes the form of expedition cruises. In the summer months, Polar cruise vessels are able to complete a full circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, the primary island of the Svalbard archipelago, providing good opportunities to encounter polar bears from a relative distance, though it's important to stress that polar bear viewing is never the sole or primary focus of these expeditions and sightings are not assured.

Photo credits: the photo of the adult brown bear is used with the kind permission of Mark Williams, who travelled with us on a bear safari to Finland. The photo of the grizzly bear & cub was taken by John Lehmann and provided by Tweedsmuir Lodge, Canada.