Bears are harder to see in this season than in the winter. Even armed polar bear guards can stare at white rocks sometimes waiting for it to move. In the winter, the yellow cream color of a polar bear stands out against the brilliant white of snow. Much easier to spot.
None of us could see it, at first. While we lunched on the rocks at Parks Canada Cape Merry, a bear was spotted across the river at Fort Prince of Wales. Indeed, a white rock was moving. It was really far away, just a pixel spot on my zoomed in photo with the big lens on. Our bear guards said, "close enough!", as they couldn't carry a firearm on Parks Canada land. Still, we were thrilled!
The next day we ventured out on the land with naturalist and guide Paul Ratson of Nature First. He's about my height, with a big belly and a seasonal gray beard. Summer season beard. "can't have a beard in the winter up here unless you want to carry a block of ice around on your chin. Worse, is when your face gets stuck to your sleeping bag." He's donning sunglasses, and a paperboy cap, binoculars around his thick neck, and a lethal riffle slung over his grey sweatshirted shoulder.
We were going rock hopping. A hike on some Precambrian shield rock dotted with lichens. If the black lichen is wet, he says, it is a slick as grease. Mind your feet. We leave the van and fan out on the squishy land as to not create a trail. We walk on caribou lichen, Dryas (also known as arctic avens), and some snow birch. The hummocks give and recoil on the active layer above the permafrost. Isostaic rebound is a term applied to the land in general here that is rising up after the glaciation. Think of pushing on a pillow due to pressure, and then watching it rebound. Arctic tundra is doing the same, slowly over time. Thus, the Hudson Bay is getting smaller as land mass rises.
We gain a small ridge and the group is stopped. I am awed by the view of the Hudson Bay to my right and take a few photos. Then I hear Paul say blah blah wait blah bear. BEAR! I turn to my left and not more than 60 meters away is a sow and her cub cuddled up sleeping in a day bed. My heart is beating fast...nerves for these girls, excitement, and panic that I can't change my lense fast enough, thinking the bear would soon be gone. That couldn't be farther from the truth of the situation. Paul explained we would stay here and watch. The bear sees us as we see her, but she decides our next move, not us.
In fact, the actions of a cub could decide what we do next. Cubs are categorized in three ways. A coy is a cub of the year. A yearling is a cub about a year old. Subadults are cubs 2-4 years old. Our cub was a yearling that Paul estimated to weigh 150 pounds. Mama was about 700. For over an hour we had the best episode of 'tundra tv'. Our private viewing of the intimacy of raising a cub on the land. We had the best seats in the house. Solid rock beneath our feet, steady breeze to reduce the bugs, and warm sunshine overhead. Mama bear lifted her head. Then cub stirred. I spotted the fox on the ridge. That was what she smelled, Paul suggested. The fox moved closer. At one point I had the fox and bears in the same tight 300mm frame. I could describe their movements in detail but will simply say that I was awed humbled and so lucky to witness this scene. The mama shooed the fox away and went back to the day bed, while the yearling cub took a swim in the pond beside the bed. We were there!
In fact, the actions of a cub could decide what we do next. Cubs are categorized in three ways. A coy is a cub of the year. A yearling is a cub about a year old. Subadults are cubs 2-4 years old. Our cub was a yearling that Paul estimated to weigh 150 pounds. Mama was about 700. For over an hour we had the best episode of 'tundra tv'. Our private viewing of the intimacy of raising a cub on the land. We had the best seats in the house. Solid rock beneath our feet, steady breeze to reduce the bugs, and warm sunshine overhead. Mama bear lifted her head. Then cub stirred. I spotted the fox on the ridge. That was what she smelled, Paul suggested. The fox moved closer. At one point I had the fox and bears in the same tight 300mm frame. I could describe their movements in detail but will simply say that I was awed humbled and so lucky to witness this scene. The mama shooed the fox away and went back to the day bed, while the yearling cub took a swim in the pond beside the bed. We were there!
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