The Best Places to See Wild Polar Bears in 2021

Polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere, roaming the ice sheets of the Arctic and swimming in the coastal waters of the region. The total population of polar bears is divided into 19 subpopulations. Sixty percent (13 subpopulations) live in Canada. In the wild, there are between 25,000 and 30,000 polar bears. Most of them live north of the Arctic Circle to the North Pole. There are some populations south of the Arctic Circle in the Hudson Bay of Manitoba, Canada.

Learn more about the best places to see wild polar bears in 2021 with our Blog.

Alaska

Alaska is the only US state with three bear species (polar, black, and brown). There are approximately 4,700 polar bears in Alaska. To see polar bears in the wild, head north to the coast of the Arctic Ocean in Alaska. Two communities in Alaska, Kaktovik and Utkiagvik (formerly called Barrow), offer great opportunities for polar bear watching. Kaktovik is a small Iñupiat village that can be accessed by small commercial or charter aircraft, with frequent delays due to weather conditions. Although polar bears spend most of their life on sea ice, many of them travel during the ice-free period from August to October along the coast of Barter Island, where the village of Kaktovik is located. The best opportunity to watch bears in Kaktovik is on a boat trip. Locals rent their small boats, which provide a safe, land-based, and enclosed platform for observing and photographing these majestic animals.

Canada

Canada is home to about 16,000 polar bears, roughly two-thirds of the world’s total estimated population. More than 90% of polar bears in Canada live in the two northernmost territories of Canada: Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The small town of Churchill on Hudson Bay in Manitoba, known as “the polar bear capital of the world” is probably the most accessible polar bear spot. Bears can be seen here in late summer, waiting for the water in the bay to freeze over, so they can go out on the ice and hunt seals.  They are best viewed from tundra buggies, specially modified trucks that can cross over uneven ice terrain and provide safe watching.

One more place Nunavut is situated high on the west coast of Hudson Bay. This small local settlement, which can be reached within a 50-minute flight from Churchill, provides the opportunity to see polar bears in their natural habitat, at the very edge of the ice floe.

Greenland

It is unknown how many polar bears live in Greenland, but three populations in West Greenland are estimated at 2,500 bears. The population of East Greenland is unknown. Polar bears tend to live in the northernmost parts of western Greenland and northeastern Greenland, some of the most inaccessible parts of the country. The best way to see polar bears in Greenland is by ship, probably aboard one of the expedition ships. The good news is they are relatively easy to spot when you get on board. An interesting fact is that the coat of arms of Greenland is a blue shield depicting a silver polar bear. Read the Story of Greatest Greenland’s Explorers to learn more about this mysterious and amazing place.

Norway

The population of polar bears in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard and the Barents Sea is about 3,000, which exceeds the human population. The chances of seeing polar bears in Svalbard are among the best in the world.  Most likely, you will see polar bears here from a ship, not from land. In winter, bears hunt on ice floes. In winter, polar bears can be found throughout the archipelago, and in summer they usually follow the sea ice and migrate to the northeast. Unfortunately, it is  difficult to predict where is the best place to see them, but it is obvious that the longer you spend on Svalbard, the better your chances of seeing polar bears.

Russia

Franz Josef Land is the northernmost island in the Arkhangelsk region, just 560 miles (900 km) below the North Pole. There is no permanent human settlement here, so the wildlife is thriving, making it one of the best places to see polar bears. The population of polar bears in Franz Josef Land is in the Barents Sea subpopulation and includes approximately 2,500 bears. Getting to Franz Josef is quite challenging. Most visitors get to the island via the Russian icebreaker.  Wrangel Island is another place in Russia where you can watch polar bears. Located high in the Arctic Far East of Russia, the island is called a maternity ward for polar bears. It has the greatest number of polar bear dens in the world: more than 500 mothers give birth to their cubs here every year. If you want to see cute baby bears, then this is the perfect place for you to visit.