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Fleeing Polar Bear


Fleeing Polar Bear
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1369 W: 9 N: 6334] (18906)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-07-25
Categories: Mammals
Exposure: f/6.7, 1/750 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Franz Josef Land, Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus), TN Favourites, under and above the seas and lakes [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-06-06 6:52
Viewed: 9306
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This picture was taken on the bow of the Russian Ice- Breaker Kapitan Dranitsyn as we were breaking ice to land on one of the islands. I took this shot with a Canon 10, so buffering was very slow and I did not get too many shots - though the second shot I posted was of the same bear. Quite frankly, I am surprised I got as many shots as I did as the ship was juddering and lurching as we crashed through the ice - and I was hand holding with a 300 2.8 lense and 1.4 converter.

The black lines are where the water has melted beneath the decaying ice and the remaining ice is casting a shadow.

Polar bear Ursus maritimus
The polar bear is the largest land carnivore and has a reputation as the only animal that actively hunts humans. Polar bears are predominantly carnivorous, and mainly feed on ringed seals and less so on bearded seals. A small part of their diet includes beluga, narwhal, walrus, fish, seabirds, reindeer and carrion. They also eat berries and various other vegetation in the summer months.

The main technique employed by polar bears when hunting seals is known as still-hunting. The bear waits at a breathing hole until a seal surfaces. It will then break through the snow and seize the seal with its jaws. Polar bears must spend over 50 per cent of their time hunting, and less than two per cent of attempts to catch seals are successful. Even in good hunting areas, a bear may catch only one seal every four or five days.

They have a remarkable sense of smell and can detect a carcass from 32km away.

Statistics - Body length: male: 240-260cm, female: 190-210cm. Weight: male: 400-600kg (rarely up to 800kg), female: 200-300kg. They are the largest species of bear and the largest land carnivore.

Polar bears are large and stocky with hind limbs that are longer than the forelimbs, and a long neck. They have large, furry feet that act as snowshoes. Their creamy-white fur is dense and water-repellent, enabling them to shake dry after swimming.

Polar bears are found throughout the circumpolar Arctic, south to Canada. They are the most northerly distributed species of bear.

They spend most of their time on Arctic ice floes, and when they are on the shore they remain near the water.

Polar bears are predominantly carnivorous, and mainly feed on ringed seals and less so on bearded seals. A small part of their diet includes beluga, narwhal, walrus, fish, seabirds, reindeer and carrion. They also eat berries and various other vegetation in the summer months.

The main technique employed by polar bears when hunting seals is known as still-hunting. The bear waits at a breathing hole until a seal surfaces. It will then break through the snow and seize the seal with its jaws. Polar bears must spend over 50 per cent of their time hunting, and less than two per cent of attempts to catch seals are successful. Even in good hunting areas, a bear may catch only one seal every four or five days.

They have a remarkable sense of smell and can detect a carcass from 32km away.

They are usually solitary, except during the breeding season (midsummer), although they will sometimes aggregate to feed on large whale carcasses.

Polar bears are most active at night. They are strong swimmers and have many adaptations for an aquatic environment - they are well insulated with fat, their nostrils close and their ears are held close to their head when underwater, plus their feet are partially webbed.

Annual home ranges vary from 5,180-300,400 square km. The variation depends on their location - bears that live in areas where the pack ice changes considerably need larger ranges than those in relatively stable habitats.

Only pregnant females enter dens over the winter, so that their cubs can be born in safety. Other polar bears remain active.

Franz Josef Land (Земля Франца Иосифа/Zemlja Frantsa Iosifa) is an extensive archipelago of 191 islands located in the northeast Barents Sea region of the Arctic Ocean. They are situated north from the islands of Novaya Zemlya and 1,000 km south from the North Pole. The islands form the northernmost regions of the European Arctic and are bound by the waters of the open Arctic Ocean to the north, the Barents Sea to the south and by the Kara Sea to the southeast.

In all, there are 6 main islands — Prinz Georg Land (2,741 km²), Wilczek Land (2,054 km²), Graham Bell Island (1,709 km²), Alexandra Land (1,051 km²), Salisbury Island, and Hall Island — and 20 medium-sized islands. The remaining 135 islands are all small (accounting for less than half of one percent of the archipelago's area) and bring the total landmass of the group to 16,134 km². Terrain on the islands consists of elevated tablelands and low hills — reaching their highest point of 620 m above sea level on the island of Wiener Neustadt
Proframe, SelenE, Kathleen, SkyF, garyfudge, nglen, JPlumb, tomcezar, pablominto, anel, delic, septama, Ingrid1 has marked this note useful
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To SelenE: PreviousJamesp 1 06-06 07:08
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Critiques [Translate]

Wonderful shot James. Just love it.
Beautiful color tones and lines of the ice.
The reflection of the polar bear adds to the scene.
Very well done. Thamks for sharing.
Best regards, Harry

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2249 W: 65 N: 4205] (13972)
  • [2007-06-06 7:05]
  • [2] [+]

Hi James,
I remember a similar shot you have posted a couple of months a go. Composition is very good, the patterns and the texture of the ice is amazing. Precious capture and a very interesting photo. Well done and TFS
Selen

Stunning shot James. Even just a image of the ice patterns on their own would make a stunning image. A polar Bear running across them is icing on the cake.
Exposure, pin sharp, composition, all spot on.
Wonderful

Kathleen
New Zealand

What an amazing pattern in the ice you have there. You could almost use the picture without the bear in it as a great abstract picture.

Great details and DOF...

Bonjour,
Effet comique et sympathique.
Bonne journée.
clnaef

  • Great 
  • Bufo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 404 W: 69 N: 951] (4247)
  • [2007-06-06 8:43]

Hi James,
another fine picture of yours. You must be a lucky man having seen so many great places in the world. What I like here is the lines and patterns of the ice. The bear is just a part of the picture, but defenitly not the least.
This summer I'll return to Svalbard and hope for another opportunity to take many nice polar bear pictures.
Cheers, JAcob

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2007-06-06 11:43]

Hi James,
he definitely looks like he is in a hurry, must be amazing seeing those animal in their natural habitat.
Very nice action shot, the scene and details are wonderful.
Very nice use of space and the action pose is quite cute.
TFS..Sky

Hi James,

a great action shot. I love these bears and I must say I'm quite envious of you.
One day I'll try to get a job on a ship heading that way and make the most of it.

Gary

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2007-06-06 15:59]

Hi James. you are so luky to see all the animals. great to see the bear in the wild . the ice texture helps to make the shot. very nice compostion. TFS very well done .great notes again. thanks.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • ridvan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 498 W: 0 N: 1136] (5205)
  • [2007-06-06 16:55]

hi james : nice capture of this animal, beautiful colours with nice Bg, good composition TFS well done.
regards
ridvan

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-06-06 22:59]

Hello James

A lovely shot.The ice and water makes a beautiful landscape.The pose of the fleeing bear is super.Well done under difficult and extreme conditions.TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • JPlumb Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 618 W: 158 N: 896] (2904)
  • [2007-06-06 23:27]

What an incredible image James. The lighting and textures in this shot are beautiful. Very nice capture of the Bear in action.

Thanks, John

Nice photo and interesting stripes of ice. The white it is so many tipes. The texture is realy fantastic. Bravo. The great majority of your photot are great. It is The World in pictures. Bravo for your work.
All best regards, Cezar T.

very good seeing

Hello James,
Ahhhh, this is some fine action captured!
Composition wise it is great, with good help from the ice breaking up...
Awesome!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2007-06-07 2:59]

Hi james,
Amazing picture. The structure of the ice makes the landscape appear like an abstract painting, and in contrast to it, the mouvement of the polar bear. That's just great. A unique picture.
Best regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 440 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2007-06-08 17:00]

Hi James,
This would make an excellent abstract nature photo without the bear, and it's much more with it. Excellent composition with the running bear on top of the frame, which is somewhat unconventional, but very effective. Regards,
Hakan

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 479 W: 60 N: 970] (3088)
  • [2007-06-10 5:51]

Hello james,
An amazing shot, the contours created by ice and water is fantastic.Graet PoV to capture the bear ,Good DoF.
Very well done
TFS & cheers

really national geographic quality shot! excellent composition with artistic lines of ices. The jumping polar bear also make the picture looks like moving, excelent shot

Hello James.

Excellent image, nice composition and colors.

Regards.
Jose Luis.

Hi James,
I am a new member, have set up themes, look for appropriate images and keep encountering your shots :-)

This is truly an exciting action shoto!!

TFS. Sorry, I have used up my allotted daily ration of points.

Verite

Dear James
I discovered this wondrous photo when trawling TN for my new theme "under and above the seas", and I add your work.

Unfortunately I have never been so far north but in Antarctica.....

Your image is truly amazing both in the geographic sense: the wide, wide expanse, nothing just ice as well as Action ie the fleeing Ice Bear

Thanks for sharing
Have a happy week
Warm greetings
Ingrid

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