Polar Bear Photo Takes 3 Years and 17 Hours to Capture

A polar bear's curious face peering through a hole in Arctic ice has captured hearts worldwide, winning top honors at the California Academy of Sciences' 13th annual BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition.

Photographer Audun Rikardsen spent more than three years planning this single shot. He traveled to the drift ice north of Norway's Svalbard archipelago, searching for seal breathing holes where polar bears hunt.

The process demanded extreme patience. Rikardsen rigged a motion-sensing camera underwater directly beneath a breathing hole, then waited eight hours in brutal cold for the bear to arrive.

When the polar bear finally pushed through the thin ice layer, the camera captured a perspective no one had seen before. The ice, water, and bubbles perfectly frame the bear's face as it searches for prey below.

"This is the most incredible perspective of a polar bear that I've ever seen," said Suzi Eszterhas, BigPicture jury chair. The image shows nature from an angle typically reserved for the bear's prey.

But Rikardsen's work wasn't finished. He had to wait nine more hours while the bear napped nearby before safely retrieving his equipment.

The competition drew submissions from over 64 countries, showcasing nature's beauty from the ocean depths to mountain peaks. Other winning shots included fish schools mimicking larger predators in Mexico, gelada primates leaping across Ethiopian cliffs, and conservation efforts for endangered northern white rhinos in Kenya.

Why This Inspires

These photographers remind us that our planet still holds countless wonders worth protecting. Rikardsen's dedication shows how far people will go to help others see the natural world through fresh eyes.

The winning images also highlight conservation success stories. One photo captures a northern white rhino embryo before transfer to a surrogate mother, offering hope for a species on the brink of extinction.

From panda sanctuaries where caretakers wear urine-soaked costumes to avoid human contact, to wildlife rescues treating injured joey kangaroos, these images celebrate both nature's resilience and humanity's commitment to preservation.

In an age where negative environmental news dominates headlines, these photographs offer something different. They show the extraordinary beauty still thriving on our planet and the dedicated people working to keep it that way.

One perfect shot took 17 hours of waiting in the cold, but it gave millions of people a glimpse into a world they'll never visit themselves.