Tundra buggy

A tundra buggy is a special vehicle used to transport people and services across short stretches of Arctic tundra with minimal damage to this delicate landscape. It is best known for its use by tourists for viewing polar bears and other Arctic wildlife outside of Churchill, Manitoba in northern Canada.

Tundra buggies are actually custom built trucks, or modified tour buses with extremely large wheels, light-weight aluminum seating areas, and tires which are inflated to a very low pressure, which allows them to crawl across the tundra without hurting it. They travel at low speeds - always less than 30 miles per hour, but typically closer to 10 mph. The vehicle's great height is useful for fording shallow rivers and eddies, and also provides a higher view and safety from approaching polar bears.

The name "tundra buggy" is actually trademarked by "The Tundra Buggy Adventure", a local tour operator in Churchill. But the name is widely used to describe similar vehicles operated by other companies as well, including "Great White Bear Tours" (shown here).