16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Curious Cub

Polar bear cubs are just so adorable!! I took this shot on our last day with the polar bears in the Alaska Arctic. With cold temperatures, the ocean was freezing up faster than usual and we had to cut our trip short the day before because the ice was getting too thick. We didn't think we'd get to go out the next day, but fortunately, the wind blew the right direction and opened up a small area of open water. We were the only boat to go out that morning and it was such a treat watching these cubs for over an hour!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2018
Photo Location: , United States of America
Copyright: © David Swindler