Look! Swimming with Polar Bears

No Photoshop here! When a friend sent us this picture we definitely did a double-take (then a triple-take). The Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane, Ontario has redefined the concept of the cold water Polar Bear swim.

Safe behind a thick protective glass divider, adults and kids can swim alongside 24-year old Nanook and young twins Nakita and Aurora all summer long. The bears were each rescued after their mothers were killed in the wild.

This certainly qualifies as an unusual holiday escape. Would your kids be brave enough to try this?

Comments (4)

Must. Go. There. Wow - amazing. I'd swim with Nanook in a heartbeat. What a wonderful place.

posted by One Eyed Daruma on August 20th 2007 at 7:22am
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I'd do it! What a wonderful experience for kids to be that close to wildlife. I think it would give them a whole different appreciation for animals.

posted by ilovemymini on August 20th 2007 at 1:49pm
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This looks rad, even though that first picture kind of gave me a heart attack.

posted by caslab on August 20th 2007 at 3:12pm
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The zoo in Tacoma WA has a polar bear exhibit where you can see the polar bears swimming, the viewing area is mostly below-ground with a huge and very thick glass window. I've never been so aware that I was just the right size to be "prey" (humans are about the same size as seals, which is what polar bears eat in the wild).

posted by fjorlief on March 28th 2009 at 2:12pm
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