Up close with a polar bear mother and cub near Churchill, Manitoba

THE Traveler Kerri lundrigan of farmington

A polar bear mother and cub meandered along a rocky waterfront near Churchill, a town in the northern reaches of Manitoba on the Hudson Bay. Cubs generally stay with their mothers to learn the tricks of survival in the Arctic for 2½ years. Lundrigan traveled to the so-called Polar Bear Capital of the World in August, ahead of the busiest bear season, and discovered that Hudson Bay was filled with beluga whales. "We went up for the bears, but enjoyed the belugas just as much.," she wrote in an e-mail. This polar bear duo appeared on the shore during an eight-hour boat trip Lundrigan took. As the boat bobbed on waves, she steadied herself and clicked the shutter multiple times. "I love that the two bears seemed to pose for us to take their photo. They stayed close to the water so I was able to get an up-close shot," she wrote.