Curious Cub

Location: Eastern Spitsbergen, SvalbardPolar bear are an incredibly confident and curious species. This wildlife portrait captures a female polar bear cub, metres away from our ship on an expedition through Svalbard.After spotting a mother and cub bear while navigating through Spitsbergen. We parked our ship against the ice to observe the bears. It wasn't long before the curious cub decided to investigate our presence and made its way across the ice, licking and sniffing the air to figure us out. We stayed very still and quiet as she carefully wandered back and forth below the ship.This photograph captures the moment me and the cub locked eyes. My heart was racing knowing I was witnessing such a rare, intimate moment with this beautiful predator. I felt everything else dissolve around me as I stared without blinking. For these reasons, I have made this a black and white image. It brings the engagement and clarity I felt at this moment. Free of distraction and totally immersed with this