Written By Tara Zokaie, WWF’s Digital Marketing Specialist
© Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
A Surprise Entry
There are many issues on my bucket record, however I by no means anticipated photographing polar bears of their pure habitat can be considered one of them. My early encounters with bears started in 2008 on a visit to Yellowstone National Park, the place I noticed my first black bear — a mom with three playful cubs following shut behind her. It felt like time stood nonetheless as they crossed the highway, unfazed by the group of shocked guests. A number of years later, in 2013, I noticed my first grizzly bear, a large, curious presence that left me glued to the bottom, grateful for the gap between us.
I all the time assumed my bear experiences would cease there — possibly one other black bear sighting on a climbing path if I used to be fortunate.
Never did I count on to ever discover myself simply ft away from dozens of polar bears, digital camera in hand, coronary heart pounding, in one of the distant corners of the world.
From Winnipeg to the Wild
The journey started with a flight to Winnipeg, the place I attempted to calm my nerves by visiting the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It turned out to be the proper place to begin: a superbly designed house that tells highly effective, interconnected tales of battle, resilience, and hope. It was a significant reminder of how deeply our lives are tied to 1 one other — a sense that may echo by way of my experiences up north.
The subsequent morning, we boarded a constitution flight to Churchill, Manitoba — the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.” Even earlier than settling in, we have been handled to glimpses of Arctic terns and even a fleeting view of a black fox on our preliminary bus trip into polar bear nation. Armed with my digital camera and newbie’s enthusiasm, I snapped away — solely to understand my settings have been manner off. That second set the tone for the journey: stuffed with errors, studying, and sudden wins.
(Overexposed white birds towards the snowy floor? Lesson realized.)
While a few of my fellow vacationers have been seasoned photographers, I used to be proudly nonetheless figuring issues out. Thankfully, Churchill was a sort instructor to me.
Up Close With Polar Bears
My first up-close polar bear shot – it wanted some work! © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
Our residence base for the journey was the legendary Tundra Lodge: a sequence of linked vehicles, very like a shifting resort, set out on the sting of Hudson Bay. Each cozy sleeping compartment had its personal window for round the clock polar bear viewing — a uncommon but superior mixture of journey and luxury.
On our very first night, after a hearty dinner crafted by the Lodge’s unimaginable kitchen staff (who’re very proficient — are you able to think about contemporary Nanaimo bars: an area dessert layered with chocolate, coconut, and custard, within the tundra?!), we have been meant to assemble for a workshop with our proficient guides, Eddy and Giulia. But nature had her personal schedule. Before the presentation may start, Eddy knowledgeable us {that a} polar bear was exterior the lodge.
In hushed pleasure, we scrambled to seize our cameras and tiptoed to the viewing platforms. There, simply ft away, stood a polar bear, curious and unhurried. The silence amongst our group was fast and absolute — a collective reverence because the bear sniffed the air, then reared up on its hind legs to examine us extra carefully.
Arctic Nights and Northern Lights
That night time, buzzing with adrenaline, I barely slept — however it didn’t matter.
Even my cellphone images have been beautiful! © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
At round 2 a.m., Giulia softly knocked on our doorways: “Northern lights!”
We threw on jackets and stumbled exterior, cameras in hand.
Above us, the sky exploded into colour — greens, purples, even hints of pink — the aurora borealis shimmering and fluttering within the Arctic night time. I had seen images of the northern lights earlier than, however standing below them, surrounded by silence and snow, was one thing solely completely different. I knew instantly this was one of the stunning sights of my life.
Over the following few days, we explored the tundra aboard huge tundra buggies — strengthened autos designed for sluggish, cautious motion throughout the delicate panorama. Each outing introduced new surprises: a large scarred polar bear parading by, a sleepy one sprawled out close to the willows, and the playful sparring of younger males practising for maturity.
Quick Polar Bear Fact:
Churchill’s bears collect right here every fall, ready for Hudson Bay to freeze to allow them to head out to hunt seals, their major meals supply. Polar bears are thought of marine mammals as a result of they rely upon sea ice for survival. Climate change continues to threaten their habitat, making conservation efforts — and schooling — much more essential.
One of my final up-close polar bear pictures – fairly an enchancment. © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
Beyond the Wildlife
While exploring, we additionally realized about Churchill’s layered historical past — together with the longstanding presence of Indigenous peoples just like the Inuit, Dene, and Cree. Their deep connection to the land, the wildlife, and the seasons runs a lot deeper than any customer can absolutely grasp. I used to be grateful to listen to from native voices and to know that a number of the applications we participated in supported neighborhood initiatives.
Every night again on the Lodge, over plates of scrumptious meals that, as soon as once more, appeared not possible in such a distant location, we attended workshops to refine our images abilities: the way to alter publicity in snow, body pictures for storytelling, and even edit panoramas of the huge tundra.
Thanks to the generosity of fellow visitors and the infinite endurance of Eddy and Giulia, I went from overexposing terns to framing eye-level portraits of polar bears below smooth Arctic gentle. It reshaped how I see “wild” areas – not simply as backdrops for journey, however as communities value defending.
It wasn’t nearly taking higher images — it was about seeing otherwise, and I’m so grateful I’ve these stunning photographs to pair with all my unimaginable tales and learnings.
Learning to take images the additional mile and inform a narrative. © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
An Experience That Stays With You
Growing up in Southern California, the concept of Arctic adventures and frigid temperatures had by no means actually appealed to me. But Churchill, with its stark magnificence, its resilient neighborhood, and astonishing wildlife, opened a door I didn’t know was there. A dream I didn’t even know I had fulfilled in methods I’m nonetheless making an attempt to place into phrases.
An attractive look of a conventional Inuit inukshuk which stands as an emblem of steering and survival within the Arctic panorama. © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
If you ever get the prospect to journey north, the place the polar bears roam, and the northern lights dance overhead — go. Just don’t overlook your digital camera, your humility, and possibly a second abdomen for all these Nanaimo bars.