Churchill, Manitoba

The simple message in this photograph is that life is more fun with company. Adult male polar bears tend to play out largely solitary lives on the ice, in the sea or in the tundra but when they do have company it seems to add zest and entertainment to their daily routine. Here is living proof, perhaps, that humans can still take a lead from animal behaviour. Solitary lives are little fun.
These sparring adults will not hurt each other. It is all play and a little practice for the more serious battles ahead. But the fact that it’s a mock battle does not diminish the spectacle; it is awesome to see 800 lb alpha predators standing up to each other.
Whilst there is a pleasing uniformity to the backdrop and foreground of this image, there are no standout features to locate the topography. But anyone who knows polar bear regions will recognise this as the shores of Hudson Bay around Halloween. The well-nourished bears, the shoreline of rock and ice and the tundra all point to one location - as does the sparring itself.
I don’t think the photographer has to do much in situations like this other than show patience, keep warm and manage their own position relative to the bears. The first two of these directives are basic and vanilla, but the third is crucial. When the time came, I was exactly where I needed to be. The credit for that goes to my guide, Kelsey Eliasson, who knows these bears.
I don’t know a place in the world where local guides matter more than the Hudson Bay. This is no safari park; it’s all very real. Just like the two bears, life is better together in this unique part of the world.