Waiting for The Freeze

In Manitoba, Canada, the arctic landscape at first appears bleak. Colors seem toneless. Then there's a movement on the horizon. A polar bear! Suddenly, it seems as though the whites of the landscape are alive with the golds and silvers of his coat. As blue shadows dance across his bulk, you notice that the gray sky actually has lavender hues.

For Canada's polar bears, winter is the time of plenty. In November they gather on the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for the ice to freeze. Except for these few weeks together, polar bears are solitary creatures, hunting alone all summer and most of the winter months.

When he reaches the shore, this bear will test the ice with his huge front paws. If it's not solidly frozen, he will join other bears in play and sleep while waiting for the freeze. When the ice forms, he's off to hunt alone.