Watch This Polar Bear Livestream for a Calming Break from Your Day

Polar Bears International is streaming an annual gathering of polar bears before they migrate onto the ice.

CJ Kirschhoffer / Polar Bears International
CJ Kirschhoffer / Polar Bears International

The world is chaotic. Watching something calming can be a tidy bit of self-care. If you’ve exhausted your ability to zone out to reruns of The Office or are just too on edge from the finale of shows like House of the Dragon and Rings of Power, you might give polar bears a try.

There's no show. Just polar bears. Polar Bears International (PBI) and Explore.org have restarted their annual polar bear live cam for the season. The stream starts annually in late October and runs through mid-November, with an eye on having some great streams during Polar Bear Week from October 30 to November 5.

The theme of Polar Bear Week this year is coexistence and "promoting safety for polar bears and humans," the organization tells Thrillist.

The stream gives you a front-row seat--sans the icy chill and danger--to the seasonal polar bear migration in the Hudson Bay. Typically, hundreds of polar bears gather near Churchill. PBI says this is because it is where ice first appears in the Hudson Bay. They’ll chill there, fasting, until it is time to move from the shore out onto the ice to hunt seals.

The stream gives a glimpse of how polar bears live, including surprising moments like fights between males or female bears snuggling with cubs. You’ll also occasionally spot other animals like Arctic foxes, snowy owls, ptarmigans, and Arctic hares. The stream also has occasional talks with scientists and polar bear bingo to keep you occupied as you wait for something fun to take place.

The stream lasts through the middle of November when there is generally enough ice in the Hudson Bay that the bears can move onto the ice. Though, that date sometimes drifts later than it has been in the past due to climate change.

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Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow Dustin on Twitter.