Malini Chandrasekar
Power
Polar bear, Svalbard, 2024
Category - Polar Wonders
This unforgettable encounter with a male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in Svalbard was pure magic. Curiously, he approached the ice’s edge, plunged into the frigid water, and swam gracefully closer before hauling himself onto the pack ice. From a safe distance, I captured this portrait, showcasing his raw power, resilience, and quiet curiosity—a striking embodiment of the Arctic’s wild, untamed beauty. In Svalbard, a remote archipelago off Norway’s Arctic coast, climate change is accelerating at an alarming rate—warming nearly seven times faster than the global average. This rapid ice melt is pushing polar bears, along with other endemic species, to the brink of survival. Despite being protected since 1976, polar bears face an uncertain future here. If global warming continues unchecked, these iconic predators could vanish from Svalbard altogether, a stark reminder of the urgent need for climate action.
600 mm f/4 Lens - 1/5000 sec at f/4 ISO 1100