Bears & Bones

Another grateful surprise opportunity in Kaktovik, Alaska. At the time, I didn't realize how rare it was to have an opportunity to spend time and photograph a polar bear sow with triplets. Brown bears tend to have twins or triplets, so I thought it was more common. The sow spent most of her time trying to rip off scraps from the bowhead whale bones. The cubs weave in and around the bones, finding pieces to pick up and play with. When bears approached, the sow would move her head back and forth looking for all her cubs. She eventually joined them on the bone pile late in the evening, waiting for other bears to leave before they could leave themselves. The cubs seemed healthy, and the sow on alert at all times. It was one of the most incredible evenings watching the family navigate this rest stop while waiting for the ice to thicken and approach close enough to get to with the cubs.