The Ultimate Indulgence
Visiting a Dangerous Place
in Safety
in Safety
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| Male looking up at us in the lodge (Photo: Donahue) |
Twelve years ago we spent several days near Hudson Bay outside of Churchill, Manitoba. Our destination was a "lodge" parked in the snowy isolation of the tundra. It consisted of a “train” of connected bedrooms, dining room, and lounge car - all on wheels.
It was designed to be stationed/parked for optimal polar bear viewing each season. For whatever reason there were only 14 of us plus our guide in the lodge, giving us plenty of room to spread out and a window on the snowy world for everyone.
Safe at 10 feet about the snow-covered ground, we watched the bears wander through or settle down by the big tires. All were waiting for the Bay to freeze so they could go where seals breed and lounge on the ice; all were hungry for a first good meal after many months of fasting. They nosed around the lodge, perhaps hoping that some tidbit (perhaps a careless tourist) would fall and give them something.
Our most faithful companions were a mother with two 1-year old cubs. Polar bears often have twins, and sometimes triplets, although if times are lean, the smallest of the cubs dies before reaching a year. They stayed close to each other, often touching, snuggling, or nuzzling.
At times a large male would arrive and the female and cubs would move off. Males will kill cubs. For us, watching from above, hands and arms kept well within the lodge, we sipped coffee in the morning, and wine in the evening. This is the extraordinary luxury of eco-travel; visit and briefly live in dangerous and harsh environments and see things that in the past only explorers and zoo visitors would see.
Arctic weather prevailed. Being secure and warm, I delighted in the blizzard-like conditions - the wind blew the snow sideways. Snow seemed to muffle sound even though the wind was gusting steadily. When it stopped blowing and snowing, it was silent - very cold and silent. Ah - but we had good food and drink and warmth - we were in our element and the polar bears and others were in theirs. Ours was a bubble.
Another option for polar bear viewing was to stay in Churchill and take a tundra buggy and drive out for the day. I felt quite superior in our lodge as the "mobile tourists" gathered around "our" lodge viewing "our" polar bears. Eventually, they left, leaving us in the white quiet with the bears.
In November 2000 I was not particularly aware of climate change and global warming. We spent time and money to see polar bears and whatever else came by. I recollect it with pleasure. However it is a pleasure now tempered with sadness. We returned home and serendipitously a photo article came out in the December National Geographic ("Bear Beginnings: new life on the ice" by Norbert Rosing, Dec. 2000). The photos of a mother and her new-born triplets were marvelous and endearing. Only in the last paragraph did the author raise the spectre of climate change, writing, "Sadly all is not well in the bear's realm." Now, 12 years later, it is clear that polar bears are in trouble due to warming of the arctic region.
I have loved nature films since watching the Disney films in the 50s. In a contrived way (I now know and probably suspected then) I was introduced to nature on the prairie, the desert, the arctic, the jungle, and more. Many of us trace our fascination and love of the environment to these films. I have watched many nature films and over the years, and a noticeable pattern developed in the "plotting." First, reveal the wonders and marvels of nature, then discuss the fly in the ointment - the threat to the eden just revealed. The pattern is so pervasive because the reality of the looming disaster is so evident and pervasive. I now find it difficult to watch all of a nature film. I do watch however, but I do it out of obligation; I feel obligated to not look away at what we are doing. If we are going to destroy environments and all the species that live in them, we need to take responsibility - to bear witness and report.
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| Great White Bear Lodge (Photo: Donahue) |
It was designed to be stationed/parked for optimal polar bear viewing each season. For whatever reason there were only 14 of us plus our guide in the lodge, giving us plenty of room to spread out and a window on the snowy world for everyone.
Safe at 10 feet about the snow-covered ground, we watched the bears wander through or settle down by the big tires. All were waiting for the Bay to freeze so they could go where seals breed and lounge on the ice; all were hungry for a first good meal after many months of fasting. They nosed around the lodge, perhaps hoping that some tidbit (perhaps a careless tourist) would fall and give them something.
Our most faithful companions were a mother with two 1-year old cubs. Polar bears often have twins, and sometimes triplets, although if times are lean, the smallest of the cubs dies before reaching a year. They stayed close to each other, often touching, snuggling, or nuzzling.
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| Mother and two yearling cubs (Photo: Donahue) |
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| Mother and Cubs (Photo: Donahue) |
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| Cubs pacing along near mother (Photo: Donahue) |
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| Snow on noses (Photo: Donahue) |
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| Large male hanging out near the Lodge (Photo: Donahue) |
At times a large male would arrive and the female and cubs would move off. Males will kill cubs. For us, watching from above, hands and arms kept well within the lodge, we sipped coffee in the morning, and wine in the evening. This is the extraordinary luxury of eco-travel; visit and briefly live in dangerous and harsh environments and see things that in the past only explorers and zoo visitors would see.
Arctic weather prevailed. Being secure and warm, I delighted in the blizzard-like conditions - the wind blew the snow sideways. Snow seemed to muffle sound even though the wind was gusting steadily. When it stopped blowing and snowing, it was silent - very cold and silent. Ah - but we had good food and drink and warmth - we were in our element and the polar bears and others were in theirs. Ours was a bubble.
Another option for polar bear viewing was to stay in Churchill and take a tundra buggy and drive out for the day. I felt quite superior in our lodge as the "mobile tourists" gathered around "our" lodge viewing "our" polar bears. Eventually, they left, leaving us in the white quiet with the bears.
 |
| Tundra buggies from town and unconcerned polar bears (Photo: Donahue) |
I have loved nature films since watching the Disney films in the 50s. In a contrived way (I now know and probably suspected then) I was introduced to nature on the prairie, the desert, the arctic, the jungle, and more. Many of us trace our fascination and love of the environment to these films. I have watched many nature films and over the years, and a noticeable pattern developed in the "plotting." First, reveal the wonders and marvels of nature, then discuss the fly in the ointment - the threat to the eden just revealed. The pattern is so pervasive because the reality of the looming disaster is so evident and pervasive. I now find it difficult to watch all of a nature film. I do watch however, but I do it out of obligation; I feel obligated to not look away at what we are doing. If we are going to destroy environments and all the species that live in them, we need to take responsibility - to bear witness and report.
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| Two young males waiting for the freeze (Photo: Donahue) |
From the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22823/0
"Polar bears rely almost entirely on the marine sea ice environment for
their survival so that large scale changes in their habitat will impact
the population (Derocher et al. 2004). Global climate change
posses a substantial threat to the habitat of polar bears. Recent
modeling of the trends for sea ice extent, thickness and timing of
coverage predicts dramatic reductions in sea ice coverage over the next
50-100 years (Hassol 2004). Sea ice has declined considerably over the
past half century. Additional declines of roughly 10-50% of annual sea
ice are predicted by 2100. The summer sea ice is projected to decrease
by 50-100% during the same period. In addition the quality of the
remaining ice will decline. This change may also have a negative effect
on the population size (Derocher et al. 2004). The effects of
sea ice change are likely to show large differences and variability by
geographic location and periods of time, although the long term trends
clearly reveal substantial global reductions of the extent of ice
coverage in the Arctic and the annual time frames when ice is present. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22823/0
While all bear species have shown adaptability in coping with their surroundings and environment, polar bears are highly specialized for life in the Arctic marine environment. Polar bears exhibit low reproductive rates with long generational spans. These factors make facultative adaptation by polar bears to significantly reduced ice coverage scenarios unlikely. Polar bears did adapt to warmer climate periods of the past. Due to their long generation time and the current greater speed of global warming, it seems unlikely that polar bear [sic] will be able to adapt to the current warming trend in the Arctic. If climatic trends continue polar bears may become extirpated from most of their range within 100 years."
So like today's nature films, first the wonder then the despair - tempered with hope - I hope.
