Written By Tara Zokaie, WWF’s Digital Advertising and marketing Specialist
© Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
A Shock Entry
There are lots of issues on my bucket listing, however I by no means anticipated photographing polar bears of their pure habitat could be one among them. My early encounters with bears started in 2008 on a visit to Yellowstone Nationwide Park, the place I noticed my first black bear — a mom with three playful cubs following shut behind her. It felt like time stood nonetheless as they crossed the highway, unfazed by the group of surprised guests. A number of years later, in 2013, I noticed my first grizzly bear, an enormous, curious presence that left me glued to the bottom, grateful for the gap between us.
I all the time assumed my bear experiences would cease there — perhaps one other black bear sighting on a mountain climbing path if I used to be fortunate.
By no means did I anticipate to ever discover myself simply toes away from dozens of polar bears, digicam in hand, coronary heart pounding, in one of the distant corners of the world.
From Winnipeg to the Wild
The journey started with a flight to Winnipeg, the place I attempted to calm my nerves by visiting the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It turned out to be the proper place to start out: a superbly designed area that tells highly effective, interconnected tales of wrestle, resilience, and hope. It was a significant reminder of how deeply our lives are tied to 1 one other — a sense that might echo by my experiences up north.
The following morning, we boarded a constitution flight to Churchill, Manitoba — the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.” Even earlier than settling in, we have been handled to glimpses of Arctic terns and even a fleeting view of a black fox on our preliminary bus experience into polar bear nation. Armed with my digicam and newbie’s enthusiasm, I snapped away — solely to comprehend my settings have been means off. That second set the tone for the journey: filled with errors, studying, and surprising wins.
(Overexposed white birds towards the snowy floor? Lesson realized.)
Whereas a few of my fellow vacationers have been seasoned photographers, I used to be proudly nonetheless figuring issues out. Fortunately, Churchill was a sort trainer to me.
Up Shut With Polar Bears
My first up-close polar bear shot – it wanted some work! © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
Our residence base for the journey was the legendary Tundra Lodge: a sequence of related automobiles, very similar to a shifting lodge, set out on the sting of Hudson Bay. Every cozy sleeping compartment had its personal window for round the clock polar bear viewing — a uncommon but superior mixture of journey and luxury.
On our very first night, after a hearty dinner crafted by the Lodge’s unimaginable kitchen staff (who’re very proficient — are you able to think about contemporary Nanaimo bars: an area dessert layered with chocolate, coconut, and custard, within the tundra?!), we have been meant to assemble for a workshop with our proficient guides, Eddy and Giulia. However nature had her personal schedule. Earlier than the presentation might start, Eddy knowledgeable us {that a} polar bear was outdoors the lodge.
In hushed pleasure, we scrambled to seize our cameras and tiptoed to the viewing platforms. There, simply toes away, stood a polar bear, curious and unhurried. The silence amongst our group was quick and absolute — a collective reverence because the bear sniffed the air, then reared up on its hind legs to examine us extra intently.
Arctic Nights and Northern Lights
That evening, buzzing with adrenaline, I barely slept — but it surely didn’t matter.
Even my cellphone images have been beautiful! © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
At round 2 a.m., Giulia softly knocked on our doorways: “Northern lights!”
We threw on jackets and stumbled outdoors, cameras in hand.
Above us, the sky exploded into shade — greens, purples, even hints of purple — the aurora borealis shimmering and fluttering within the Arctic evening. I had seen images of the northern lights earlier than, however standing beneath them, surrounded by silence and snow, was one thing solely completely different. I knew instantly this was one of the stunning sights of my life.
Over the following few days, we explored the tundra aboard large tundra buggies — bolstered automobiles designed for gradual, cautious motion throughout the delicate panorama. Every outing introduced new surprises: an enormous scarred polar bear parading by, a sleepy one sprawled out close to the willows, and the playful sparring of younger males training for maturity.
Fast Polar Bear Truth:
Churchill’s bears collect right here every fall, ready for Hudson Bay to freeze to allow them to head out to hunt seals, their major meals supply. Polar bears are thought of marine mammals as a result of they rely on sea ice for survival. Local weather change continues to threaten their habitat, making conservation efforts — and training — much more essential.
Considered one of my final up-close polar bear photographs – fairly an enchancment. © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
Past the Wildlife
Whereas exploring, we additionally realized about Churchill’s layered historical past — together with the longstanding presence of Indigenous peoples just like the Inuit, Dene, and Cree. Their deep connection to the land, the wildlife, and the seasons runs a lot deeper than any customer can totally grasp. I used to be grateful to listen to from native voices and to know that among the packages we participated in supported neighborhood initiatives.
Each night again on the Lodge, over plates of scrumptious meals that, as soon as once more, appeared not possible in such a distant location, we attended workshops to refine our pictures expertise: modify publicity in snow, body photographs for storytelling, and even edit panoramas of the huge tundra.
Because of the generosity of fellow friends and the countless endurance of Eddy and Giulia, I went from overexposing terns to framing eye-level portraits of polar bears beneath smooth Arctic gentle. It reshaped how I see “wild” areas – not simply as backdrops for journey, however as communities price defending.
It wasn’t nearly taking higher images — it was about seeing otherwise, and I’m so grateful I’ve these stunning photos to pair with all my unimaginable tales and learnings.
Studying to take images the additional mile and inform a narrative. © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
An Expertise That Stays With You
Rising up in Southern California, the concept of Arctic adventures and frigid temperatures had by no means actually appealed to me. However Churchill, with its stark magnificence, its resilient neighborhood, and astonishing wildlife, opened a door I didn’t know was there. A dream I didn’t even know I had fulfilled in methods I’m nonetheless attempting to place into phrases.
A phenomenal look of a standard Inuit inukshuk which stands as an emblem of steering and survival within the Arctic panorama. © Tara Zokaie / WWF-US
When you ever get the possibility to journey north, the place the polar bears roam, and the northern lights dance overhead — go. Simply don’t overlook your digicam, your humility, and perhaps a second abdomen for all these Nanaimo bars.