Observing a polar bear in the wild is like watching a grand mythology unfold before your eyes: the backdrop of the Canadian arctic, the vast stretches of barren tundra and sea ice, the frigid, crisp winds howling and this incredibly wise and majestic creature surviving in a frozen and unforgiving land.
As they have for thousands of years, these massive creatures are now gathered along the Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada waiting for the water to freeze over. After four to eight months of a walking hibernation with very little to eat, the sea ice formation is the red carpet leading back to their kingdom. It is on the ice that these bears can go hunt Ringed and Bearded Seals and take their rightful place as the high priests in the frozen arctic cathedral.
To mark this ancient ritual of the most dominant mammal trekking across this hemisphere, we at explore.org have partnered with Polar Bears International, Frontiers North Adventures and Parks Canada to stream the polar bear migration live in HD, from multiple locations. We do this as part of a new initiative we call Pearls of the Planet, which I created to help people fall in love with the world again and witness the miracle of nature in its purest state.
We also are pleased to partner with Huffington Post and others to turn this annual migration event into Polar Bear Week. Here on Huffington Post, you will find a new perspective every day from leading scientists and the top tourism experts in the area.
As Vice President of the Annenberg Foundation, I am blessed to be able to present Pearls of the Planet without commercial interruption or corporate sponsors. Our mantra is "never stop learning," and with this in mind, we welcome viewers from all over the world to open their hearts, souls and minds to the teachings of nature. We encourage people to act as citizen scientists, spectators, and community participants, and hope to renew a connection to our planet. The world is changing, and this special event represents an incredible opportunity to escape the noise and rhetoric of humanity with the solitude and wisdom of nature.
In that spirit, scientists and experts will be engaging in the comments, and we invite you to ask questions and share your perspective as we usher in a new winter season.