Woman Travels To Alaska To Photograph Polar Bears In Snow, But There Was No Snow
Klaidi Telha
Photographer Patty Waymire wanted to capture polar bears in the picturesque snow, so she traveled to Barter Island, Alaska – and shockingly, there was no snow. “I was surprised when I arrived, to find there was no snow nor was the sea ice forming yet,” Waymire told The Huffington Post. “The locals told me that it was an unusually warm winter and that the snow would be late in arriving. It is one of the warmest winters on record.”
She was quick to spot polar bears on patches of sand and dirt, and decided to capture the unusual view on the camera. “The shot struck me immediately as [the bear] seemed so contemplative, sitting there on the shore of one of the Barter Islands,” she said. “The lack of snow and ice was so evident that it told a story without requiring any words.”
One of the pictures she took titled “No Snow, No Ice” received an honorable mention in a National Geographic photo competition. The shot is said to be a good reflection of the dire effects of global warming.
The photographer says she would like Donald Trump to travel to the Arctic too see what’s happening for himself, so he can understand “why this incredibly special place must be protected.”
But as she arrived to Barter Island, Alaska she was surprised to see that there was no snow there. No even little bit which was odd and unusual for that area.
As the locals said, this is one of the warmest winters recorded in Alaska and therefore the snow will be arriving pretty late this year.
During her long walks along the shore, she spotted polar bears hanging out on patches of sand and dirt. Seeing them in an environment that it is quite unusual for their specie, the photographer felt the need to capture them right there at the moment.
The one thing that got her attention was the expression on their faces. It was so bizarre, almost as if they were reflecting or thinking in introspective.
Capturing polar bears surrounded by sand and not ice in a photograph it is a story on its on. The captured photographer turned out to be so powerful on their on, that there is no need to describe them with words.
Actually one of the photos taken by Waymire, titled ‘No Snow, No Ice’ received an honorable mention in a photo competition organized by National Geographic. The photo itself captures perfectly the effects of global warming.
