Nanuk: Polar Bear, Ursus Maritimus seen from the deck of the Arctic Sunrise in Kane Basin, North west Greenland. The bear's curiosity drew the ship while it was stationary, in sea ice, just after midnight on Sunday morning. It came very close to the ship, and even looked like it thought about trying to scale the side of the vessel, before playfully rolling about on the ice.
 
In this photo, the bear is rolling about, apparently to dry itself - however, it stopped several times while in this seemingly playful mood to take a look back at it's audience on board the ship.
 
This was fifth of six polar bears seen by the crew in the last few weeks.
 
The Greenpeace ship has been in the area for over a month, carrying out scientific research and bearing witness to the effects of climate change on the Arctic. More at http://weblog.greenpeace.org/climate

Nanuk: Polar Bear, Ursus Maritimus seen from the deck of the Arctic Sunrise in Kane Basin, North west Greenland. The bear's curiosity drew the ship while it was stationary, in sea ice, just after midnight on Sunday morning. It came very close to the ship, and even looked like it thought about trying to scale the side of the vessel, before playfully rolling about on the ice.
 
In this photo, the bear is adopting a 'olfactory antenna' position, in order catch scents on the air. It looks like its in a shamanic trance!
 
This was fifth of six polar bears seen by the crew in the last few weeks.
 
The Greenpeace ship has been in the area for over a month, carrying out scientific research and bearing witness to the effects of climate change on the Arctic. More at http://weblog.greenpeace.org/climate

Nanuk: Polar Bear, Ursus Maritimus seen from the deck of the Arctic Sunrise in Kane Basin, North west Greenland. The bear's curiosity drew the ship while it was stationary, in sea ice, just after midnight on Sunday morning. It came very close to the ship, and even looked like it thought about trying to scale the side of the vessel, before playfully rolling about on the ice.
 
 
This was fifth of six polar bears seen by the crew in the last few weeks.
 
The Greenpeace ship has been in the area for over a month, carrying out scientific research and bearing witness to the effects of climate change on the Arctic. More at http://weblog.greenpeace.org/climate

Nanuk: Polar Bear, Ursus Maritimus seen from the deck of the Arctic Sunrise in Kane Basin, North west Greenland. The bear's curiosity drew the ship while it was stationary, in sea ice, just after midnight on Sunday morning. It came very close to the ship, and even looked like it thought about trying to scale the side of the vessel, before playfully rolling about on the ice.
 
 When I took this photograph, my feet were 7m above the ice, on the starboard bridge wing. The shoulder height of the bear was around 1-15m. I was leaning on the rail, so the distance from my lens to the bear was, if you work it all out, 7m, or maybe less. Daunting, fascinating, and a little frightening to be that close to such an immense, powerful animal.
 
This was fifth of six polar bears seen by the crew in the last few weeks.
 
The Greenpeace ship has been in the area for over a month, carrying out scientific research and bearing witness to the effects of climate change on the Arctic. More at http://weblog.greenpeace.org/climate

Nanuk: Polar Bear, Ursus Maritimus seen from the deck of the Arctic Sunrise in Kane Basin, North west Greenland. The bear's curiosity drew the ship while it was stationary, in sea ice, just after midnight on Sunday morning. It came very close to the ship, and even looked like it thought about trying to scale the side of the vessel, before playfully rolling about on the ice.
 
 When I took this photograph, my feet were 7m above the ice, on the starboard bridge wing. The shoulder height of the bear was around 1-15m. I was leaning on the rail, so the distance from my lens to the bear was, if you work it all out, 7m, or maybe less. Daunting, fascinating, and a little frightening to be that close to such an immense, powerful animal.
 
This was fifth of six polar bears seen by the crew in the last few weeks.
 
The Greenpeace ship has been in the area for over a month, carrying out scientific research and bearing witness to the effects of climate change on the Arctic. More at http://weblog.greenpeace.org/climate