Polar Swim by Paul Nicklen

Photo Credit: Paul Nicklen

As a young boy, Paul Nicklen, a Canadian-born polar specialist and marine biologist, moved to Baffin Island and spent his childhood among the Inuit people. From them he learned the love of nature, the understanding of icy ecosystems, and the survival skills that have helped him to become one of the most successful wildlife and nature photojournalists.

Polar Swim

Nature, third prize stories

2005

A polar bear travels submerged under water - a tactic often employed to surprise prey. As part of a fragile Arctic ecosystem, the bears are threatened by the recent dramatic reduction in ice cover. Sea ice - frozen seawater that moves with the ocean currents - provides an important habitat and resting place for many animals. The Artic ice cover reached a record low in 2007. Many attribute this situation to global warming.