polar bear closeup photography

Nothing quite says “North” like a polar bear. We spotted this curious young male wandering along the southern edge of the pack ice near the eastern coast of Greenland around 82 degrees north. This bear, fondly nicknamed Freckles, stayed with our ship for over forty minutes, but the last five were the most memorable photographically. The setting sun finally dipped below the day’s thick blanket of clouds casting its warm, yellow glow onto our bear, enrobing him in a coat of golden light. These magnificent, marine predators are dependent on sea ice for survival and their future is thawing.