THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO

On a trip to the North Pole, I was fortunate to have lots of opportunities to photograph polar bears, but this is my favorite. Most bears we saw were alone; this was the only mother-and-cub we encountered. 

The orange on the horizon indicates it’s towards the end of the season of the 24-hour polar sun and adds an element of color that contrasts well with the dominant blues of the sky, ice and water. But what I particularly like about this photo is that it captures the vastness of the landscape and suggests the loneliness that is part and parcel of a polar bear’s existence.

Arnie is Explorer at Large, Northstar Travel Group and this is a column he does for WONDERLUST