Polar Bear and Cub Sleeping

The little boat rocked back and forth, as the Arctic Ocean waves gingerly brushed against its sides. Our day’s journey found us in the company of a mother bear and her cub. Both bears slept deeply and appeared down for the long haul. The cub rested upon its mother’s pillowed shoulder and she against the snow-blanketed ground. The backdrop turned a magnificent shade of purple, as the sun began to set. The bears’ peaceful presence mimicked the serene scene sprawled out before us.

Polar Bear, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2013

Canon 1DX, Canon 600mm F/4, f/5.6, Canon 1.4x III teleconverter, 1/1250s, ISO 1600, handheld