1. Cloud wolves: Churchill, Manitoba
Churchill is far removed from the rest of Canada — 600 miles from provincial capital Winnipeg alone and not connected by road. Beyond the main street, all signs of civilisation give a feeble shiver and peter out. But this frontier town is firmly on the tourist map for what roams on the tundra beyond: so many bears the town is frequently dubbed the polar bear capital of the world.
And there’s more: along the Kaska Coast, 150 miles south of Churchill by plane, you can now stay at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge to see cloud wolves in their natural setting. Go in November and there’s also the chance to find polar bears and see the Northern Lights — the region gets around 300 days of auroral activity per year.
How to do it: Churchill Wild’s new Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast itinerary costs from £12,509 per person for nine nights, including flights from Winnipeg.
2. Bears: Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia
Three types of bear roam in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest: grizzlies, black bears and rare spirit bears, long revered by the First Nations. To be in with a chance of seeing them, stay on the southern edge at the new Klahoose Wilderness Resort, owned by the Klahoose Nation.
How to do it: From £2,429 per person for three nights.
3. Narwhals: Baffin Island, Nunavut
From May to June, depending on the ice’s stability, visitors to Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost territory, can fleetingly camp at the floe edge — where sea ice meets open ocean. Narwhals, belugas and even bowhead whales can make an appearance, while polar bears search for seals on land.
How to do it: From £8,635 per person for 11 nights, including flights.
4. Moose: Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Moose are surprisingly difficult to spot, but a trip to Algonquin Provincial Park, with its thousands of lakes and rivers in southwestern Ontario, offers by far the best odds for seeing these large mammals. Explore by canoe and spend evenings sleeping under the stars.
How to do it: From £1,659 per person for six nights, including flights.
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