Dr Huw Lewis-Jones is an expedition leader across the polar regions. The academic, who teaches at Falmouth University in Cornwall, has now travelled to the north pole 12 times, and this photo was taken in 2018, “high in the Arctic Ocean, north of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, in the frozen pack ice”.
The polar bear Lewis-Jones captured with his iPhone 7 was searching for seals, which haul themselves out on to the floe or come up in the breathing holes. The bear was checking out their ship, too: “They’re often really curious. This beautiful animal stayed with us for over an hour.”
Lewis-Jones uses his iPhone as a sketchbook on his expeditions, close to and far from home. “It’s ideal for recording memories and insights, which later fuel the writing of my books when I’ve left the ice behind,” he says. “And when I’m actually driving the boat, it’s a helpful camera for a quick shot.”
Reflecting on his image several years later makes him pine to be back. “I feel like I thrive up there,” he says. “The Arctic has been a part of my life for decades. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be out in these difficult environments. These days I spend much of my time teaching and writing, but I’m still lucky enough to lead voyages each year. Whether they’re to find seabirds, remote islands, polar bears or simply see the wilderness of ice, it’s all a kind of magic to me.”
