International Polar Bear Day

[Asle F]

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Polar_Bear_Day it is 'International Polar Bear Day' today. These polar bears was seen  at Svalbard in 2009.

A yawning polar bear at the west coast.

Gjesp… by Asle Feten, on Flickr

And a wandering polar bear at the east coast.

Isbjørn i Hinlopenstretet by Asle Feten, on Flickr

[HCS]

Wow !

[Randy Stout]

Asle:

I like them both, for different reasons. #2 for the real sense of scale it provides, and #1 for the gaping mouth and the icy perch.

Cheers

Randy

[Asle F]

Thanks.

#2 is the one that has became seldom at Svalbard, because of the climate change.  There was more pack ice at the north and east of Svalbard when I was there in august of 2009 than it is now in the winter of 2018. That is scary…

The situation at #1 was the most breath taking moment of the trip, but the situation of #2 is the one I am most grateful to have experienced, thinking of it afterwards.

[Ron Scubadiver]

Beautiful animals, but extremely dangerous.  #1 is a great shot.

[beryllium10]

Thanks for posting these! Both remarkable photos.