20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A polar bear challenging the Hudson Bay ice field.

Large male Polar Bear venturing onto the frozen Hudson Bay. This was a very confident bear that he would check out the ice thickness into the bay and when he found it to be too thin he would come back closer to the beach. Polar bears will go out onto the ice in search of Ringed Seals, they will consume about 40 babies each and then head back to land and find a den to hibernate.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: churchill, Canada
Copyright: © Randy Heaton