Bears Around the World: Top 4 Wildlife Tailormade Tours

Bears are among the world’s most magnificent wildlife. Tailormade tours can take bear-watching enthusiasts around the world for sightings of the European Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, Black Bear and Kermode Bear. Top destinations include Finland, Sweden, the far-north island of Spitsbergen and the Great Bear Rainforest of Canada. Home to a splendid array fascinating animals, these places are sure to be unforgettable.

Finland

The taiga of Finland is home to some of Europe’s most remarkable wildlife. Tailormade tours take wildlife enthusiasts in search of the iconic Brown Bear, an impressive and elusive animal. Taking advantage of the midnight sun of the northern summer, tour groups will have day and night to look for the bears in a dedicated, comfortable hide in the taiga. It is possible to see Brown Bears in groups or alone - from the massively powerful males to young cubs with their mother. Other wildlife in the taiga includes Moose, Red Squirrel, Waxwing, Siberian Jay, Brambling and owls, as well as the rare possibility of seeing a Wolverine or Wolf.

Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen, largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, is a land of stark mountains, deep fjords and great glaciers, a mere 600 miles to the south of the North Pole. It is a stunning place to look for wildlife. Tailormade tours use boats strengthened against the ice to search the coast and seas for the Polar Bear, which hunts in the lingering pack ice. Other wonders include Harp Seal, Walrus, Beluga Whale, Bowhead Whale and vast colonies of Brünnich’s Guillemots, Little Auks and other sea birds on the coastal cliffs. Venturing to the islands, birders can look for breeding Barnacle Goose and Grey Phalarope.

Canada

The Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia, in Canada, is a temperate rainforest — one of the largest remaining in the world — and home to Grizzly Bears, Black Bears and the fabled Kermode Bear, known as the "spirit of the rainforest". A white variant of the Black Bear, the Kermode Bear is truly a marvel of Canadian wildlife. Tailormade tours may follow the fjords and rivers of the Great Bear Rainforest during the great salmon migration, when bears come to the water’s edge to take advantage of this annual feast. Other wildlife in the forest and fjords include Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Humpback Whales, Sea Otter, Harlequin Duck, Rhinoceros Auklet and Bald Eagle.

Sweden

Returning to Europe to search for the European Brown Bear, another site to consider is Finland’s western neighbour, Sweden. To gain a good vantage, tours may take enthusiasts to lakeside retreats and a comfortable hide. European Brown Bears are usually sighted, along with Roe Deer, Moose, Red Squirrel and numerous birds, including Wood Sandpiper, Brambling, Goldeneye and Black-throated Diver. The beautiful setting of Sweden’s lakes, hills and forests is sure to inspire and delight nature enthusiasts.

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you’re passionate about wildlife, tailormade tours with Naturetrek include expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to polar expeditions and tours to other spectacular regions on Earth.

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