Written By Tara Zokaie, WWF\u2019s Digital Marketing Specialist\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a9 Tara Zokaie \/ WWF-US<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There are many issues on my bucket record, however I by no means anticipated photographing polar bears<\/a> 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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n I all the time assumed my bear experiences would cease there \u2014 possibly one other black bear sighting on a climbing path if I used to be fortunate.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 a sense that may echo by way of my experiences up north.<\/p>\n The subsequent morning, we boarded a constitution flight to Churchill, Manitoba \u2014 the \u201cPolar Bear Capital of the World.\u201d 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\u2019s enthusiasm, I snapped away \u2014 solely to understand my settings have been manner off. That second set the tone for the journey: stuffed with errors, studying, and sudden wins.<\/p>\n (Overexposed white birds towards the snowy floor? Lesson realized.)<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n My first up-close polar bear shot \u2013 it wanted\u00a0some work! \u00a9 Tara Zokaie \/ WWF-US<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Our residence base for the journey was the legendary Tundra Lodge:<\/a> 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 \u2014 a uncommon but superior mixture of journey and luxury.<\/p>\n On our very first night, after a hearty dinner crafted by the Lodge\u2019s unimaginable kitchen staff (who’re very proficient \u2014 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<\/a> and Giulia<\/a>. But nature had her personal schedule. Before the presentation may start, Eddy knowledgeable us {that a} polar bear was exterior the lodge.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 a collective reverence because the bear sniffed the air, then reared up on its hind legs to examine us extra carefully.<\/p>\n That night time, buzzing with adrenaline, I barely slept \u2014 however it didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n Even my cellphone images have been beautiful! \u00a9 Tara Zokaie \/ WWF-US<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
A Surprise Entry<\/h2>\n
From Winnipeg to the Wild<\/h2>\n
Up Close With Polar Bears<\/h2>\n
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Arctic Nights and Northern Lights<\/h2>\n
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