Polar bears with cubs, other Arctic stuff

SeattleYates

My wife and I just returned from the "High Arctic" (we were above 81 degrees latitude--within 560 miles of the North Pole--at one point!). I've never taken many photos above water, so this was my first real effort, especially with big glass (500mm f/4 with 2X TC).

We had some amazing animal encounters (32 polar bears, including several mothers with cubs, two groups of walrus, a few seals, lots of birds, a few caribou/reindeer, and an Arctic fox). Considering the fact that these trips are very much "luck of the draw" (one of the passengers had a friend who recently went and had rain and dense fog the entire time--and only saw two or three polar bears a LONG ways away), we felt VERY fortunate.

Anyway, here are a few highlights. (You can see more, along with my best underwater stuff, at my new website - www.UnderwaterReflections.com). The first was with a 100-400mm lens at 400mm and 2X TC. The others were with the 500mm f/4 and 2X TC. All were taken handheld from a bobbing zodiac. :huh:

These just climbed out of the water a few minutes earlier.


Two cubs out on the ice about 50 yards from their mom.


The highlight of the trip - this mom and cubs walked right up to the edge of the ice (we were in zodiacs 30 ft or so away) and "posed" for us!


This mother stopped and nursed her cubs with us 50 yards or so away

BeachBill

Excellent photos Bruce. Thanks for sharing them.

wxwax

Wow, I'd love to do that. Expensive glass, tho. :cry

This really tells a nice story, not something you see very often.

ChrisJ

Wow, these are incredible! Beautiful bears....

Frog Lady

WOW - sounds like you had an awesome trip! Great photos too

morrisphotography2003

Two thumbs up Bruce, 2,3&4 are my favorites, great series.
Bob.

SeattleYates

wxwax wrote:

Wow, I'd love to do that. Expensive glass, tho. :cry

This really tells a nice story, not something you see very often.

Yes, the nursing mother was really touching. The other "story" scene of the trip was a mother "still" hunting with her two cubs. One way polar bears hunt is to find an active seal breathing hole in the ice, and sit, stand or lie perfectly still (motionless) next to it. When a mother with cubs is still hunting, the cubs are trained to sit silently about 15-20 yards away. These two particular cubs were very well-behaved, and it was really amazing watching them sit while their mom "hunted."

Ric Grupe

Gee, Bruce, no close ups!?!

An experience to die for.

Glad to see these!

System

You're a lucky man to have seen those Polar Bears. Sadly they are rapidly vansihing from the earth. Great pics.

Skippy

SeattleYates wrote:

My wife and I just returned from the "High Arctic" (we were above 81 degrees latitude--within 560 miles of the North Pole--at one point!). I've never taken many photos above water, so this was my first real effort, especially with big glass (500mm f/4 with 2X TC).

Amazing......... how beautiful.....and to see a Mum with 2 babes how lucky were you ???? gawwwwwdddd talk about a Triple Whammy!!
I would have been totally beside myself with joy.

What a wonderful adventure you guys must have had, your images are beautiful......thanks for sharing..... Skippy (Australia)

System

outstanding...... it is amazing how they look so docile but yet they are so dangerous..

SeattleYates

Ric Grupe wrote:

Gee, Bruce, no close ups!?!

:giggle Actually, in this context (i.e., using 400mm or 500mm lens with 2X TC in most cases!), we really did feel like we were getting "close ups." This photo gives you an idea of how far we actually typically were from the edge of the shore or ice. The distance was not only to avoid bothering the bears, but to make sure we weren't within striking distance (since they ARE higher on the food chain that we are... :uhoh ).



Then again, we DID get considerably closer to some swimming walruses...or more accurately, they swam right up to--and around--us:

SeattleYates

truth wrote:

You're a lucky man to have seen those Polar Bears. Sadly they are rapidly vansihing from the earth. Great pics.

That is indeed the bittersweet aspect of this trip. Our guides (who have been going there for many years) were astounded at how far the ice (both pack ice and glaciers) has receded in recent years. Many fjords that should have been still completely covered by pack ice (on which the bears hunt) were totally BARE (no ice at all). We did (obviously) find some ice, but had to go much farther North and East to do so. Since the bears depend on ice (i.e., to hunt seals) to lay on fat that will sustain them through the long months without food, global warming literally threatens their very existence. It seems tragic that such magnificent creatures are unable to find food on which to live because when they migrate to their traditional hunting areas, they find no ice and so can't catch food for themselves (or their cubs). The photos I posted of the mother (with cubs) "still" hunting were taken in a cove where the "fast ice" only covered a few hundred yards along the shore -- normally the entire bay (100 TIMES that much area) would have been covered in ice. And it is truly a global issue...not just affecting Svalbard, but everywhere the great bears live...:cry

Harryb

Amazing shots to remember a great trip by. Its is sad to hear that the ice is receding so fast. I see our local environment down here in Florida get eatten up daily by unending development.

Dick on Aruba

Nice series Bruce. The last is my favorite. THe last could also benefit from some PP.

Thanks for sharing.

Dick.

SeattleYates

Dick on Aruba wrote:

Nice series Bruce. The last is my favorite. THe last could also benefit from some PP.

Thanks for sharing.

Dick.

Thanks, Dick (and others) for the kind words. I assume that the "last" one you refer to is the nursing mother? I've actually done as much post-processing as I know how to (exposure, contrast, just a little sharpening, etc.). She was really quite a ways away (100 yards?), and I had to crop the photo to get it as "close" as it is. Not sure what else to do to it -- any suggestions would be much appreciated, as it's one of my favorites, too.

tomthephotographer

I like the series. Who did you go up with?

SeattleYates

tomthephotographer wrote:

I like the series. Who did you go up with?

I was on the Vavilov, run by Peregrin, but the tour co. that chartered the boat was Travelwild (www.travelwild.com), and they were absolutely fantastic -- I can't recommend them strongly enough! Their expert leaders really knew their stuff, were great fun, and added tremendously to the trip. I heard that the group on the same boat the week before (but NOT run by Travelwild) saw only 4 bears their entire trip (vs. our 32). I'm not saying Travelwild made "all" the difference, but...

I would also mention that, for dedicated photography, I would probably choose (and expect to in the future - scheduling just didn't work this time), Travelwild's "sister" company (run out of the same office), Van Os Photo Safaris (www.photosafaris.com). Their trips tend to be a bit more expensive, but cater specifically to serious photographers (e.g., less people, less crowding on excursions, etc.). LOTS of the people on this trip have traveled with both groups extensively in the past, and basically consider this the only "adventure" travel organization they consider using. I think I'm now in that camp as well...

As a totally unrelated aside, these two companies are located on a small island near Seattle -- they seem to have "small town" service and attitude.