From Sunny and Warm to -15C

For six weeks this fall, a team of filmmakers and polar bear conservation proponents will work, eat, and sleep in the middle of a gathering of polar bears on shores of Hudson Bay. Their goal is to produce both live and recorded video of the bears and share these images with the world.

The effort is organized by Robert Buchanan, president of Polar Bears International (PBI). Buchanan organized the key players-including Frontier's North Adventure, SeeMore Wildlife Systems and WildifeHD. A member of the team, Daniel Zatz, spearheaded the installation of transmission and video equipment needed to produce the project. Zatz is a four time Emmy-Award winner, and he is the primary cinematographer and technician on the project.

“Robert said that PBI wanted to raise awareness of climate change and inspire people to care about the bears by operating a Polar Bear Cam,” says Zatz. “The technology has come of age--and these beautiful animals desperately need our attention.”

To help Zatz capture the footage he needs, Frontiers North, a tour operator, offered the use of Tundra Buggy One which has a rich history in the Churchill area. Tundra Buggy Adventure’s shop crew went to work on the old buggy, and they created a polar bear photographer’s dream. “They even included an electric jib arm we designed that allows me to get close enough to touch the bears,” Zatz says. “In fact, one already bit the camera.”

Zatz will remain on the buggy with his wife Lisa and two-year-old son until late November when Hudson Bay freezes and the bears scatter across the ice to hunt seals. Every day during daylight hours, he broadcasts live video footage of the great white bears on the National Geographic web site, transmitting it via a wireless digital connection designed by SeeMore Wildlife Systems and provided by PBI. In addition, he uploads a selection of high-definition clips to the Apple HD Gallery every two to three days.

“I film during the day and edit at night,” he says. “I have an Apple Final Cuts ProHD editing system for editing uncompressed 1080p right on the buggy, so I select the 'best of the best' for posting on the site.”

Hundreds of polar bears gather near Churchill each fall to wait for Hudson Bay to freeze. The great white bears are forced ashore each summer when the ice melts. They begin to migrate to the coast in anticipation of freeze-up in early October. Their numbers build throughout the month of November until the bay freezes and they scatter across the ice to break their fast. In addition to documenting the polar bear migration, Zatz also captures footage of arctic foxes, arctic hares, ptarmigan, and northern lights.

“When Robert Buchanan first asked if I'd be willing to spend six weeks on a Tundra Buggy operating a Polar Bear Cam, I thought it was the nuttiest idea I'd ever heard,” says Zatz. “But then I realized that it would be a wonderful opportunity to spend time with some magnificent animals that might not even be here in 50 years. I think that it's important to raise awareness of climate change in the Arctic and how it affects polar bears. So I cleared my schedule—and here I am. Here we are!”

Eli Zatz at the wheel of Buggy One

We are also joined by a four-legged friend, of sorts. Dancer. A polar bear. We were told he would visit Buggy One in early November, and at the time of this writing he has just arrived and is sitting outside the door like a puppy waiting to be fed. A beautiful bear. Sorry, no food for you tonight

Back to Polar Bear Cam Page

Help all creatures large and small, human and non-human. SeeMoreHD.com.