Polar Bears

Bear Number 1 is spotted. This shot is with a 600mm lens no crop. So he was a long way away. He looked like a patch of snow to the naked eye.

We closed the distance in the Zodiak on Bear Number 1 and this is about as good a shot as I got. This is at 840mm no crop, so we were not super close. I was happy to have that much reach.

Bear Number 2 is spotted. This shot is after we closed the distance quite a bit. 840mm no crop. Initially this bear was just a discolored patch of snow from the boat. I can't even understand how they spotted it.

We watched Bear Number 2 a while and he did not move a muscle. We gave up. Then as we motored away slowly in the Zodiac, a landslide occured about 200 yards from the bear. He woke up and started walking. We still didn't get much of a shot.

We never got closer than this to Bear Number 2. I was happy with even this though because I didn't have any idea when of if Bear Number 3 would show up. 840mm no crop.

Tired out by ouir stares and walking around 100 yards after being awoken by the landslide, Bear Number 2 went back to sleep.

Bear Number 3 started out a lot like Bear Number 2. This turned out way differently though.

Bear Number 3 saw us and got curious. He headed down the hill slowly.

Bear Number 3 got close. Very close. 600mm uncropped.

Bear Number 3 at 600mm uncropped. He no longer fits entirely in the frame. He's about 30-40 feet away at this point. I only took my big lens so I couldn't go any wider.

Bear Number 3 was not terribly concerned about our presence and meandered down the shore. This shot is 600mm uncropped.

Bear Number 3 again at 600mm uncropped. Those are some big paws.

Bear Number 3 yearbook photo as my friend Russell Graves would call it.

This is the only shot I kept of Bear Number 4. It's where he was when spotted and it's where he was when we left him. 840mm uncropped.

Bear Number 5 never got closer. This is the only shot I kept.

Bear Number 6 was a game changer. As great as 3 was, 6 was better. The spotters saw him on a small island and we jumped in the Zodiaks. By the time we found him, he was seal hunting.

Bear Number 6. Sneaky bear seal hunting.

Bear Number 6. My dream shot was to capture a polar bear on floating ice. Our guide was on his 34th expedition. This was his first time seeing a polar bear on a floating piece ice. Wow.

Big yawn from bear number 6. Polar Bears can swim for miles without resting. The longest recorded swim for a polar bear is over 400 miles in 9 days.

Bear Number 6 yearbook photo.

Bear Number 6 did not have a towel, so I guess a rock is the next best thing? He eventually got out of the water and dried off a bit.

I can't believe I missed that seal!

Bear Number 6 graciously posing for my dream shot. I often don't shoot wide enough. I'm always trying for the close shot on the wildlife. I need to do a better job of finding good wide shots.