Karate Kid

Polar bears are a very special animal to witness in the wild. Although extremely dangerous, they can also possess an insatiable charm.

On an eleven-day voyage of Svalbard, I had the delight of witnessing this wild cub put on what almost seemed like an orchestrated circus act. 

We spotted her and her mother a few miles out while heading through eastern Spitsbergen. After resting our ship against the ice, the cub and her mother were drawn by our presence and started to make their way towards the ship. While the mother (out of view in this shot) lay down to rest, the cub decided to go on its own little venture and navigate towards us, diving into the freezing waters and throwing chunks of ice around as she approached.

This shot captures the cub right before she was about to jump over a crack in the ice. As I reviewed my photo I realised I had caught the bear in a rather hilarious position. She almost looked to be practising a form of martial arts as she came to grips with her jumping technique. A heartfelt moment that makes me laugh every time I look back on it.

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• FREE GLOBAL SHIPPING
• Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag®, a premium white cotton paper with a soft textured feel. Boasting brilliant colours, deep blacks with an impressive, three-dimensional pictorial depth
• Print includes a 5mm border