Stunning Shot of a Polar Bear On Iceberg Wins the Public Vote in Wildlife Photography Contest

A lazy bear was lumbering around in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. Just before midnight, he spotted an iceberg and clambered onto it. At the top, he scraped away some ice that swished like confetti in the dense Arctic air and disappeared into the indigo waters that surrounded the berg. With the space whittled out from the icy mass, he carved himself a makeshift bed and then dozed off into sleep. That’s when Nima Sarikhani, a British photographer, took out his Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, snapped a button, and captured the serene moment in a photograph. Sarikhani's photograph has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award this February, as reported by the Natural History Museum.

Sarikhani, from London, had come across this cutesy creature after searching polar bears for over three days in Svalbard. When his sailing vessel changed course, he saw two animals in an area where there was sea ice. He witnessed the beautiful scene as this young male bear climbed the iceberg and carved himself into a sleeping bed. His surreal photo depicts a brilliant contrast of this bulky creature with fur the color of a butter cookie plopped asleep on the icy mass exuding the hue of electric blue. But it isn’t just the contrast. Sarikhani told ITV News, that he wanted the photograph to inspire hope, as polar bears are incredibly adaptable and there is still time to “fix the mess we have caused” to their environment.

Experts believe that the picture also tells the profound and cautionary story of Earth’s accelerating climate crisis. Dr. Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, which runs the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, said the picture is a visual representation of the impacts of climate change and habitat loss. “Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet,” and added, “His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss.”

As Gurr pointed out, the sight of a lone polar bear napping in melting ice is rare these days. Polar bears typically rely on sea ice for basic tasks like traveling, mating, resting, and hunting, as per Earth.org. One of their main sources of food is seals that they catch from the sea ice. But nowadays, the Arctic is heating up twice as rapidly as the rest of the planet. As a result, the polar ice melts and bears are left with no source to obtain their food. Starvation over longer periods results in malnutrition, lack of essential fat, and lower reproduction rates, causing these animals to become extinct. Sarikhani's photo is a postcard that expresses the despairing tale of these ailing bears.

Sarikhani's photograph was shortlisted for the award by an international judging panel from among 50,000 images submitted by the participating photographs. His photograph was included in the top 25 images shortlisted by the judges. In the next round, the photo amassed the appreciation of over 75,000 nature and photography enthusiasts who voted for it as their favorite picture. Four runners-up images included “The Happy Turtle,” “Aurora Jellies,” “Starling Murmuration,” and “Shared Parenting.” Nima’s image, titled “Ice Bed” was displayed in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, along with these four runners-up, until the end of June.