Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The swimming polar bear

As we were sailing in the North-East Greenland on board a polar exploration ship, the captain made an announcement at 3am to announce a very special sighting of a swimming polar bear. I immediately jumped out of bed, put my overall over my pyjamas and run out on the deck with my camera. Over a hundred encounters, this was probably the most beautiful encounter I ever had with a polar bear. I was touched by the grace and innocence of this young female which watched us with curiosity for a good 20 minutes while swimming.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Greenland
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Laura Jourdan