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Ha very true! I did have a very good look around before getting the tripod out. They are surprisingly good at hiding despite their size, and on the ice, you are pretty much just a potential tasty snack…
This is incredible. Fresh enough that they could be right around the next bend. I take it because you live in Svalbard you know how stealthy a polar bear can be. Very beautiful photo and thanks for sharing it with us. Do you live there all year around?
Yes incredibly fresh indeed! I don’t live on Svalbard no, but I was with two incredibly experienced guides and we had 5 or 6 pairs of eyes scanning around just in case. I am always amazed as to how well they hide themselves despite their size, it’s slightly terrifying. The picture makes it look like I was in a maze of trapped icebergs but we had a much better surround view than it looks, so I felt pretty safe!
Sorry I'm on my phone but just look for something that looks like a mound of snow with specks of black close-ish to the middle. It's pretty distant though so you have to look quite closely.
Yes! Don’t want to go against the sub rules so I’ll
Send a link to the landing page of the arctic section of my website, and you see it easily. Haven’t updated my website in a while, things will be out of date!
I can’t see the link anymore but if you click on my profile you’ll see the link to my socials and you shouldn’t have to scroll down too far to see it!
I will post it tomorrow in r/wildlifephotography as well!
It did check our group out from a distance but then decided to walk away which was a great relief! We were close to our snowmobiles, but they are very quick
Not just tourists, everyone! If you leave the settlement you have to be armed, and shotguns don’t cut the mustard
The easiest way is to hire a guide and not have to worry about it!
It’s a wonderful place and not so hard to get too
I live in Sweden and it's my life goal to go there one day. Even though I'm pretty close it's still very expensive so when I do go I want to do it right.
Yes it is a bit of a financial commitment if you want to get out of longyearbyen, but it was definitely worth every penny in my opinion
You can also experience the arctic without leaving the settlement. I saw ptarmigans, arctic foxes and reindeer in the town, and all I spent to ge there was a reasonable plane ticket!
Currently resident here. A couple rounds from a 30-06 and hella luck will do it. All assuming you’re a decent shot under pressure and can unload a bolt action rifle accurately in seconds.
…which is why flare guns for scaring away bears in the first place is the best protection you can get up here. If you have to fire your rifle, you probably ducked up somewhere.
Your last sentence is very important! It is so critical to never put yourself in a situation where you have to use it. Unless the bear springs up on you at night at camp in which case it’s just bad luck (or bad camp ground location planing) one should always take precautions to not interfere with them and get close. I would feel utterly devastated if a bear was killed because of my own behaviour
Penetrating power is exactly the case. A 30-06 has tons of power and will do the job but bears are tough. One guy some years back shot a bear four times during a charge and it dropped dead right at his feet. And there’s no way in heck that was a 50m charge. Now imagine you have to wait until the bear is knocking on your soul to get off a shot with enough power at range.
Some locals have shotguns and use them and it is technically within the rules, but guiding groups (afaik) and tourists aren’t allowed to use shotguns.
Bear in mind that a high-resolution photo can be stolen and posted in a stock photo website. It has happened to many people. I believe downsizing to 2048 px at the widest dimension already avoids this.
Can I ask what the focal range on your lens is? I’m just starting out and want to get info on photos I like to see what I’ll want to use when I graduate from a kit lens
Sweet photo mate! I’m currently living in Svalbard. What’s the name of the area you were in? And what time of year? I’m guessing near Austfjorden but more likely Billefjorden and in March.
"In the winter months, gale storms in Svalbard can reach wind speeds of a hundred and thirty kilometers per hour. Accompanied by, or following, snowfall, such storms can reduce visibility dramatically, more so in the frigid months of the polar night. During these storms, travel is not advised."
I think by March April I the worst of the winter is behind you, but my long journey back from north to south was absolutely hellish. Super strong side winds lifted the snow off the ground limiting the visibility to almost nothing. I was in a convoy of a couple of snowmobiles with other guys from my group with the guide leading in front, all I could see was a faint break light about 2 meters away from me. We had to drive super slow in order to tailgate each other and not lose contact. The wind managed to go through my helmet, mask and balaclava and I ended up with one eyelid frozen shut.
To add to it, your eyes see the light going up and down whilst your body feels a different signal depending on what you are driving over, and that a recipe for nausea.
Would I do it again, hell yeah! Did I enjoy it? Hell no!
I had to scroll so far down to find this! Fortunately, by OPs position to the seed vault, it would seem they are still on the mainland and not out on the island, so they are safe from at least that!
When you see it, it sees you too. When you hear it, it gears you too. When you feel it, it touches you.
This was before the pandemic! But I fell in love with the peace and quiet of arctic wilderness. Plus the pure white canvas makes my photography job much easier as everything looks absolutely stunning all the time!
WELL…i see that you have a lot of comment karma and also a lot of post karma. I have a sneaky suspicion that you are not a human. If you are a bot (and I believe you to be) I wish you the best in your future bot endeavors…but please, leave this place alone. Humans need it more than you do.
I’m just really enjoying engaging with the Reddit community. I come from years of IG boredom and to have people actually willing to have a conversation is so much nicer. Feel free to ask me an “I’m not a robot question” I’ll happily prove you wrong!
I would love to do a summer cruise and see more of the landscapes! Winter expeditions are great but the sea ice is still too thick for boats to get around
Didn't do a cruise, flew in from Norway, I did see some cruises from far away, but yea no ice and ended up taking a fishing boat to the Russian settlement (boring and it was raining) a few hours away and to a glacier accessible only by boat. Had reindeer on the mountainside outside of the hotel (Coal Miners' Cabins) in the am as I drank my morning coffee. Had reindeer soup in a tipi, husky (wheel) sled ride and went for a hike up one of the ranges with a guide (with a gun)... like I said an unforgettable experience!
Even with a shouldered weapon this would be a frightening experience. So what did the locals tell you about the polar bears? Are they more aggressive now? Due to a food shortage since their habitat is taking a toll, due to global warming. Meaning: they won't (most likely) stop coming after you, even if you try scare them off with the usual stuff.
They didn’t mention agressive behaviour but they certainly flagged that the sea ice melted much earlier in the year which is a disaster for bears trying to hunt seals. We were lucky to only see two or three very healthy looking individuals but i know skinny bears are not uncommon
I read "French" at first (instead of fresh) and just sat there for a minute wondering how you could tell they were French polar bears just from the tracks
it's been a long day
They say if you follow the tracks to the Polarbears den and give it a kiss and a nose boop while it sleeps you become king of Alaska. Or a bloody mess. :3
So take it back before guns and you are an eskimo. What the hell are you supposed to do. No trees, no house, no guns, they can swim faster than you, they can run faster than you. Why would anyone live there.
Never been eskimos there, it was completely uninhabited. It was mostly used as a whaling and fishing port back in the days. By the time any kinds of serious settlements were a thing, rifles were common.
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I definitely would never even risk taking the picture. Those of the most dangerous bears and they run too fast for any man to ever out run. I would’ve zipped away the second I seen those prints so cudos to the photographer lmao.
I am still getting used to following bear tracks without a gun. It’s just that they know the best route to everything in their territory, so it’s the best way to go. It’s just unnerving to see their tracks and poop and you know how fresh it is.
This is the fjord leading to nordenskiöld glacier. What you see in front of you are trapped icebergs and on the sides are both sides of, well, the fjord! Unless seals can dig through bed rock, this is sea ice
The cynical part of my brain wanted to cry foul and call this fake: but there is definitely a quality of truth to this image... Chilling isn't about the air temperature.. what a great shot, I'm glad you didn't follow too close OP..
Hi and welcome to r/EarthPorn! As a reminder, we have comment rules in this subreddit. Failure to follow our rules can result in a temporary or permanent ban. > Hate Speech, Abusive remarks, homophobia, and the like have no place on this subreddit, and will be removed on sight. > Please contribute to the discussion positively; constructive criticism is fine, but if you don't like a picture and you wish to voice your opinion please refrain from abusing the photographer/submitter.
Points to the photographer. If I saw polar bear tracks, (fresh or otherwise) I’d be too busy running and pissing to snap a pic.
Ha very true! I did have a very good look around before getting the tripod out. They are surprisingly good at hiding despite their size, and on the ice, you are pretty much just a potential tasty snack…
yeah no joke. polar bears have to be the largest ninjas in nature.
[Bill Watterson knew what's up](https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/12/10)
I dont see why Calvin would be seen as deserving a knuckle sandwich over that.
What a nice compliment
This is incredible. Fresh enough that they could be right around the next bend. I take it because you live in Svalbard you know how stealthy a polar bear can be. Very beautiful photo and thanks for sharing it with us. Do you live there all year around?
Yes incredibly fresh indeed! I don’t live on Svalbard no, but I was with two incredibly experienced guides and we had 5 or 6 pairs of eyes scanning around just in case. I am always amazed as to how well they hide themselves despite their size, it’s slightly terrifying. The picture makes it look like I was in a maze of trapped icebergs but we had a much better surround view than it looks, so I felt pretty safe!
That’s an amazing experience and I’m jealous. Have fun!
I wonder how noisy the armor is when the polar bear moves.
You do realize he is in your photo right?
Who do you think *took* the shot? Now the damn thing's posting with their profile.
Where..?
There in the background. He blends in very well but once you notice it you can't unsee it.
I don’t see it. Can you circle it? EDIT: I’m pretty certain this is a troll lmao
Why is everyone always so unhelpful. [Here I’ve circled it for you.](https://i.imgur.com/obFEuqy.jpg)
It's pretty hard to see it, but keep looking because it's well worth it once you do.
If I had a nickel
Sorry I'm on my phone but just look for something that looks like a mound of snow with specks of black close-ish to the middle. It's pretty distant though so you have to look quite closely.
I've spent 3 hours looking but haven't seen it. Should I keep looking?
Yes! Once you see it, you’ll never be able to unsee it.
Circle it
Yes, definitely in the opposite direction too.
They are known for walking backwards directly in their own footsteps to trick photographers. Trust
oh no
In fact, a lot of polar bears have *become* photographers by using this trick
*Photographers hate this one simple trick!*
Brown lay down; black fight back; white...good night
I’m sure the bears hard to spot on the ice. Mad respect for sticking around to take the photo…those prints are HUGE!
I ended up photographing a bear close to this spot the next day. Can’t confirm if he made these tracks but it was certainly big!
Soo... Can we see it?
Yes! Don’t want to go against the sub rules so I’ll Send a link to the landing page of the arctic section of my website, and you see it easily. Haven’t updated my website in a while, things will be out of date!
Can I also have a link to your site? I love arctic photography.
Got a follow from me. You’re incredibly talented.
Thank you so much! Really appreciate it
I'd love a link too! Would love to see more of your work.
I can’t see the link anymore but if you click on my profile you’ll see the link to my socials and you shouldn’t have to scroll down too far to see it! I will post it tomorrow in r/wildlifephotography as well!
I Cant find your website
Let me send you a message!
Very cool! Was the bear interested in you at all?
It did check our group out from a distance but then decided to walk away which was a great relief! We were close to our snowmobiles, but they are very quick
So beautiful! Thanks for sharing
Nice. Did you post it here or is it over in r/bearporn?
Oh man there is really a sub reddit for everything isn’t there…! Let me post it there and give you the link!
I might be nervous to click on that one.
I can’t access it actually! So I’ll post it in r/wildlifephotography at some point today
Too late did the photographer realize the bear had walked backwards through his own footprints......
I’m happy to report I survived their sneaky tactics!
How can we be sure this isn't the bear answering all our questions?🤨
I mean it’s, huh, ha, you know, obviously I…. No comment
Don't be silly, just enjoy the beauty of Svalbard and know it's a lovely place for tasty humans to visit!
When i was a kid i thought Svalbard was a fictional place lol, invented to go with the Armored Bears
Same!
If its brown, stay down. If its black, fight back. If its white, say good night.
Words to live (or die) by!
What’s your website? Amazing photos!
What if you encounter a “Pizzly”?
If it's pizzly, you're sizzly
They BBQ their prey?
if it's pink beware. care bear stare.
You should still fight if it's a polar bear. You're gonna lose, might as well try to get a spot in Valhalla.
I've been wanting to visit Svalbard! Is it true tourists are required to be armed because of the bears?
Not just tourists, everyone! If you leave the settlement you have to be armed, and shotguns don’t cut the mustard The easiest way is to hire a guide and not have to worry about it! It’s a wonderful place and not so hard to get too
I live in Sweden and it's my life goal to go there one day. Even though I'm pretty close it's still very expensive so when I do go I want to do it right.
Yes it is a bit of a financial commitment if you want to get out of longyearbyen, but it was definitely worth every penny in my opinion You can also experience the arctic without leaving the settlement. I saw ptarmigans, arctic foxes and reindeer in the town, and all I spent to ge there was a reasonable plane ticket!
> and shotguns don’t cut the mustard Well what does, then?
Currently resident here. A couple rounds from a 30-06 and hella luck will do it. All assuming you’re a decent shot under pressure and can unload a bolt action rifle accurately in seconds. …which is why flare guns for scaring away bears in the first place is the best protection you can get up here. If you have to fire your rifle, you probably ducked up somewhere.
Your last sentence is very important! It is so critical to never put yourself in a situation where you have to use it. Unless the bear springs up on you at night at camp in which case it’s just bad luck (or bad camp ground location planing) one should always take precautions to not interfere with them and get close. I would feel utterly devastated if a bear was killed because of my own behaviour
I’d certainly expect a 30-06 to at least give it pause. A little surprised a 12 gauge slug isn’t sufficient though. Not enough penetrating power?
Penetrating power is exactly the case. A 30-06 has tons of power and will do the job but bears are tough. One guy some years back shot a bear four times during a charge and it dropped dead right at his feet. And there’s no way in heck that was a 50m charge. Now imagine you have to wait until the bear is knocking on your soul to get off a shot with enough power at range. Some locals have shotguns and use them and it is technically within the rules, but guiding groups (afaik) and tourists aren’t allowed to use shotguns.
A mustard knife.
You are technically correct
Iorek Byrnison!!
SVALBARD BEAR
Lee Scoresby!
Damn, this photo is so high resolution
After making sure I wasn’t going to be eaten I took the time to focus stack the image!
Bear in mind that a high-resolution photo can be stolen and posted in a stock photo website. It has happened to many people. I believe downsizing to 2048 px at the widest dimension already avoids this.
Thanks for the tip, I didn’t think of this I like that people get to enjoy a high quality image but wouldn’t want for it to get stolen either
Can I ask what the focal range on your lens is? I’m just starting out and want to get info on photos I like to see what I’ll want to use when I graduate from a kit lens
Absolutely, this was taken on a 16-35 on a full frame camera. That lens was my main landscape lens for years, I highly recommend it!
If you run into Iorek, tell him I said hi.
[удалено]
I was a day away from Longyearbyen (where the vault is) Up north!
Sweet photo mate! I’m currently living in Svalbard. What’s the name of the area you were in? And what time of year? I’m guessing near Austfjorden but more likely Billefjorden and in March.
Very cool! You are spot on for both time and place. In that picture the sun is setting over Pyramiden
Those're some big boy footprints. whew.
you know what they say about big paws ...
Big appetite !
Big socks
Big heart
"In the winter months, gale storms in Svalbard can reach wind speeds of a hundred and thirty kilometers per hour. Accompanied by, or following, snowfall, such storms can reduce visibility dramatically, more so in the frigid months of the polar night. During these storms, travel is not advised."
I think by March April I the worst of the winter is behind you, but my long journey back from north to south was absolutely hellish. Super strong side winds lifted the snow off the ground limiting the visibility to almost nothing. I was in a convoy of a couple of snowmobiles with other guys from my group with the guide leading in front, all I could see was a faint break light about 2 meters away from me. We had to drive super slow in order to tailgate each other and not lose contact. The wind managed to go through my helmet, mask and balaclava and I ended up with one eyelid frozen shut. To add to it, your eyes see the light going up and down whilst your body feels a different signal depending on what you are driving over, and that a recipe for nausea. Would I do it again, hell yeah! Did I enjoy it? Hell no!
I had to scroll so far down to find this! Fortunately, by OPs position to the seed vault, it would seem they are still on the mainland and not out on the island, so they are safe from at least that! When you see it, it sees you too. When you hear it, it gears you too. When you feel it, it touches you.
Fresh tracks in snow are always cool.
I spent 10 days trying to find intact tracks, I was so happy to find those
Did you make his dinner?
Gorgeous picture! Kudos!
Thank you so much!
That looks really cold
Time to leave.
Everyone knows those are Yeti tracks...
This is beautiful and alarming at the same time.
What brings you to Svalbard?
This was before the pandemic! But I fell in love with the peace and quiet of arctic wilderness. Plus the pure white canvas makes my photography job much easier as everything looks absolutely stunning all the time!
How long do the tracks stay “fresh” looking? Could they have been days (or longer) old? Or are these less than an hour? Less than 12 hours? etc
Usually if they are depressed they are quite fresh, and when they are recessed they are fairly old (as the fresh snow around them has drifted/melted)
Would walk very fast in the opposite direction while crapping my pants!!! Kudos to that brave Photographer.
I did indeed go the opposite direction after taking the shot haha
Awesome but tbh I hope you turned around after this instead of continuing to *track* the bear!
I did not try to find out where it went for the night!
Follow tracks for a good cuddle
just another example of why reddit is king…this is SO good.
I’m very new to Reddit and I’m really enjoying the community I have to say
WELL…i see that you have a lot of comment karma and also a lot of post karma. I have a sneaky suspicion that you are not a human. If you are a bot (and I believe you to be) I wish you the best in your future bot endeavors…but please, leave this place alone. Humans need it more than you do.
I’m just really enjoying engaging with the Reddit community. I come from years of IG boredom and to have people actually willing to have a conversation is so much nicer. Feel free to ask me an “I’m not a robot question” I’ll happily prove you wrong!
Such an amazing place! Hope you followed the rules and brought your gun with you. Be safe!
Absolutely! I was in a group with two guides so I felt safe
Went there during the summer, so no snow, but still plenty of bears. Glad you're safe, enjoy, it's an unforgettable experience!
I would love to do a summer cruise and see more of the landscapes! Winter expeditions are great but the sea ice is still too thick for boats to get around
Didn't do a cruise, flew in from Norway, I did see some cruises from far away, but yea no ice and ended up taking a fishing boat to the Russian settlement (boring and it was raining) a few hours away and to a glacier accessible only by boat. Had reindeer on the mountainside outside of the hotel (Coal Miners' Cabins) in the am as I drank my morning coffee. Had reindeer soup in a tipi, husky (wheel) sled ride and went for a hike up one of the ranges with a guide (with a gun)... like I said an unforgettable experience!
That sounds like Pyramiden and the nordenskiöld glacier! That’s where I took this shot roughly! Longing to go back, what an amazing place
I knew Jesus was a bear.
Walking on frozen water doesn’t count though!
OP alive?
Just about, and still have all my fingers!
Even with a shouldered weapon this would be a frightening experience. So what did the locals tell you about the polar bears? Are they more aggressive now? Due to a food shortage since their habitat is taking a toll, due to global warming. Meaning: they won't (most likely) stop coming after you, even if you try scare them off with the usual stuff.
They didn’t mention agressive behaviour but they certainly flagged that the sea ice melted much earlier in the year which is a disaster for bears trying to hunt seals. We were lucky to only see two or three very healthy looking individuals but i know skinny bears are not uncommon
Photographic masterpiece
Thank you so much!
I read "French" at first (instead of fresh) and just sat there for a minute wondering how you could tell they were French polar bears just from the tracks it's been a long day
It’s a French thing, we have a sixth sense!
The tuunbaq is out searching
They say if you follow the tracks to the Polarbears den and give it a kiss and a nose boop while it sleeps you become king of Alaska. Or a bloody mess. :3
Is Svalbard in IKEA?
Travel is definitely not advised in this situation, eh u/ArchonReeve ?
So take it back before guns and you are an eskimo. What the hell are you supposed to do. No trees, no house, no guns, they can swim faster than you, they can run faster than you. Why would anyone live there.
You have to hope your snowmobile will start! And to answer your question, it’s just so incredibly beautiful out there
beautiful and deadly. Pass.
Never been eskimos there, it was completely uninhabited. It was mostly used as a whaling and fishing port back in the days. By the time any kinds of serious settlements were a thing, rifles were common.
Arctic explorers in the 1800's be like 
So fresh, in fact, you can still see the polar bear! Check middle right of the image.
You can see the bear, off the black crevice near middle right of photo….!
Hi Fethecat! Dont worry, this message does **not** mean that your post is removed. This is a reminder to quickly check your post to make sure it doesnt break any of our rules. Human moderators check the following -- - [some visible land, that is not silhouetted](https://www.reddit.com/r/EarthPorn/wiki/index#wiki_what_types_of_images_are_allowed.3F) - no human-made objects (roads, boats, buildings) visible - no obvious people or animals visible - include location in post title Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EarthPorn) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Plot twist, polar bear mastered the art of walking backwards and is misleading you.
follow them
Pat martino
Nice to see traces of polar bears still in their natural habitat.
crazy how something that weighs so much barely depresses the snow
Oh man, I was thinking, what the fuck is a French polar bear?
Honhon l’ours polaire!
Quick! He’s getting away 🐻❄️
Iorek? Is that you?
Bro...if I see fresh bear tracks in front of me I will disappeared like fart in wind storm..
That is why in Svalbard, by law, you MUST carry a weapon when you go out.
And if it’s your first night at fight club you have to fight
What a beautiful shot. When instantly into my desktop wallpaper cascade.
Great picture those are some pretty big bear 🐾 paws.
Follow them. Friend ahead
Nope and a 180
So cool.
🥰
Nope
You sure those aren’t those fancy toe sneakers?
These don’t scare me! Unless they are pointing the other way.
r/oddlyterrifying
Was this the last thing you saw before you died?
I definitely would never even risk taking the picture. Those of the most dangerous bears and they run too fast for any man to ever out run. I would’ve zipped away the second I seen those prints so cudos to the photographer lmao.
Is he missing a toe?
Fresh? You're going in the wrong direction.
I am still getting used to following bear tracks without a gun. It’s just that they know the best route to everything in their territory, so it’s the best way to go. It’s just unnerving to see their tracks and poop and you know how fresh it is.
Awesome! This and a dead seal carcass here and there ha!
Take care.
I see 4,5 and 6 toes
Black fight back. Brown lay down. White good night. If there’s tracks the bear could be nearby.
That's amazing 👀
Hope you broth your rifle.
Joe Rogen is the only thing I think of when I hear bear.
“The camera was found by a park ranger. This was the last photo on the roll.”
If it's brown, lay down! If it's black, fight back! If it's white, go toward the light!
Oh good I see it's about noon there.
Very cool.
God damnit. It's not sea ice if there are rocks and hills sticking out of it. These captions really rankle my cankles.
This is the fjord leading to nordenskiöld glacier. What you see in front of you are trapped icebergs and on the sides are both sides of, well, the fjord! Unless seals can dig through bed rock, this is sea ice
Behind you
go ahead follow them, know you really want to .
I'd be relieved to see that the tracks are away from me.
The cynical part of my brain wanted to cry foul and call this fake: but there is definitely a quality of truth to this image... Chilling isn't about the air temperature.. what a great shot, I'm glad you didn't follow too close OP..
man if I saw fresh polar bear tracks, I am not going anywhere near them
Posted this on earth porn? What's this fetish? Bdsm?
Lucky you it's in the opposite direction 😉
So awesome
All small animals lacking proper defensive tools are advised to leave the snow immediately or end up on the landlord's dinner menu
I bet the bear is in this picture at a frighteningly close distance. 😬