SUMMER POLAR BEARS OF COATS ISLAND
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ITINERARY
The following itinerary is an example, and can be used as guideline for what to expect. Due to the unpredictable nature of the Arctic, ice conditions and weather play an integral part in determining the daily activities. This can be seen as the beauty of the arctic and wildlife viewing: you can never predict exactly what you will see, and no two trips are ever the same.
Day 1 - Arrive in Coral Harbour.
Day 2 - Travel to Coats Island, visiting Walrus Island on the way. Walrus island is home to hundreds of walrus in the summertime. The herds congregate in different groups on various beach areas along the island, creating a constant buzz of activity. While hundreds of walrus jostle for position on the beaches, others dive in search of clams or take a swim to cool off. Keep you eyes open for mothers carrying their young on their backs. The rocky terrain and gentle slopes allows you to easily hike in for a closer look while still remaining out of sight so as not to frighten the walrus. Each group of walrus will have one walrus that is always on the lookout and will alert the others to move quickly to the water if they feel that danger (such as a polar bear) is approaching.
Day 3 - Visit Bencas Island, keeping an eye out for bears along the shore or swimming between the islands. Bencas Island is another walrus haul out, and a favourite hunting ground for polar bears in the area. During the summer, when the ice has melted, polar bears cannot effectively hunt seal to sustain themselves. Instead, they look to hunt walrus that have pulled themselves up on the land. Male walrus can weigh up to 2000kg and are relatively slow compared to a polar bear on the land. The polar bear takes advantage of this during the summer months.
Day 4 - Visit the Bird Sanctuary. Approximately thirty thousand Thick-billed Murres come to breed on Coats Island every year. You will see thousands of them nesting on the cliffs. They come to breed on coastal cliffs and only lay a single egg, much like the penguins. With their black and white colouring, they are sometimes referred to as arctic penguin. In the morning, you will visit the vertical cliffs by Zodiac and watch them dive into the ocean to feed. Their wings are short, so that they can double as flippers when foraging for food underwater. They can dive up to depths of 150m and stay underwater for over four minutes. Their main diet includes fish, squid, crustaceans, and small invertebrates. In the afternoon, you will hike to the top of the cliffs and get a closer look from above. If researchers are available, they may be able to talk with the group about their ongoing research.
Day 5 - Search the coast and nearby islands for bears. In the summertime, when seal isn't available, bears feed on walrus, caribou, and fish. They can be found patroling the shores in search of food, and it is along the shores of Coats Island and its surrounding archipelago that we will look for them. In the summer landscape, they are easy to spot and once we've found a good vantage point, we will shut off the engines and watch the bears in their natural habitat. While cruising around the island, we will be on the lookout for its resident caribou herd.
Day 6 - Return to Coral Harbour for a visit to Native Point. This is an archaeological site that was home to the Sallirmiut people, the last of the Thule tribes. Sometimes called the Lost City of the North, you will see the remains of traditional sod houses, bones and antlers, and the old tools left behind by the traditional ancestors of the present-day Inuit.
Day 7 - Visit Fossil Creek and learn how Coral Harbour was given its name. In the creek you can see evidence of the fossilized coral that formed when the climate was much warmer. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Kirchoffer Falls and try your luck at char fishing. Return to Winnipeg.
Included
All accommodations upon arrival in Coral Harbour
Accommodations are based on double occupancy.
Single supplement add $950
All airport transfers in Coral harbour
1 Expedition leader Naturalist and knowledgeable in Polar Bears and other wildlife in the area
Local Inuit Guides
All transportation to and from Coats Island. All transportation during stay on Coats Island
All accommodation on Coats island in eco-friendly base camp. (shared polar tents)
Not Included
Airfare from home to gateway community of Coral Harbour
Expenses incurred to weather delays and/or flight schedule changes/delays.
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