Panos Laskarakis
The Explorers
Mother and cub polar bears, Norway, 2025
Category - Polar Regions
This polar bear mother and cub (Ursus maritimus) seem like experienced explorers in this mountainous region of the Svalbard archipelago. The steep slope is a challenge for the baby polar bear in the deep snow during the foggy weather. Polar bear cubs walk directly behind their mother to conserve energy, keep warm, and travel safely. This behaviour is critical for survival, as they travel long distances, sometimes over 100 km, from dens to sea ice. The shot was taken from an icebreaker around 500 metres away using a telephoto lens, in accordance with new, stricter rules governing the filming and observation of animals in Svalbard, to prevent them from being disturbed (the minimum distance from polar bears is 300 to 500 metres, depending on the month).
RUNNER-UP
600 mm f/4.5-7.1 Lens - 1/2500 sec at f/11 ISO 1600