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The Explorers
Mother and cub polar bears, Norway, 2025
Category - Polar Regions
The mother and the cub polar bears (Ursus maritimus) seem like experienced explorers in front of the mountainous region of the Svalbard Archipelago. The steep slope for the baby polar bear is a challenge in the deep snow during the foggy weather. Polar bear cubs walk in a line behind their mother to conserve energy, stay warm, and travel safely. This behavior is critical for survival, as they travel long distances, sometimes over 100 km, from dens to sea ice. The shot has been taken from an icebreaker around 500m away by telephoto, in accordance with new, stricter rules governing the filming and observation of animals in Svalbard to minimize disturbance (the minimum distance from polar bears is 300 to 500 meters).
600 mm f/4.5-7.1 Lens - 1/2500 sec at f/11 ISO 1600