Polar Plunge

Location: SvalbardPolar bear can be very curious, and in this case playful creatures. This shot was captured onboard the M/V Kinfish. Our vessel on an eleven day expedition of Svalbard. While navigating the coast of eastern Spitsbergen, our expedition leader spotted a mother and cub followed by a solitary bear from the ship’s crows nest. We rested the ship up against the fast ice while observing the bears in the distance through binoculars. The mother and cub noticed our presence and began to move towards us once the lone bear disappeared. The cub then put on an adorable and boisterous display in close proximity to the ship. She dove into the icy arctic waters, jumped across floating sheets of fast ice and threw ice chunks around with her mouth. The mother took time to chill out and have a giggle in the background. This was incredible experience to witness. It almost seemed scripted. It made me appreciate the relationship between the mother and cub and how such a dangerous animal can a