Dmitry Kokh is a wildlife and underwater photographer who is based in Moscow, Russia. In September 2021 he could capture a fascinating scene on the Kolyuchin island when he was coming back from a long trip. His crew was sailing a yacht along the coast and the captain decided to stop at a small island (Kolyuchin) looking for a shelter, due to bad weather. Kolyuchin was the polar weather station for the Soviet Union. The station was shut down in 1992, but the buildings on the island are still in the place.
Dmitry Kokh mentions “The stormy wind, rain, and neglected buildings on the rocky shores all served to make everything happening seem surreal. Suddenly, we noticed movement in the windows of the houses. Someone took out some binoculars and we saw the heads of polar bears!” That is when he realises that the weather station abandoned by people has been acquired by polar bears.
Image credit & More info: dmitrykokh.com | Facebook | Instagram
Since it is not safe to approach them, the photographer has used his drone with low-noise propellers to capture this incredible moment (that explains the slightly low image quality). He further adds, “I also used certain tricks that allowed me to shoot the animals without disturbing them”. They just live there comfortably like it is their own home. With their body language, it seems like they are so familiar with the place already.
According to the photographer, most of the polar bears in the station were males. For some reason, the female ones seem to stay close to the shores of the island with the cubs. The writer’s guess is that it may be due to the safety considerations of the cubs.
Make sure to visit the photographer’s website and social media accounts for many more amazing wildlife and underwater photographs. Feel free to share your thoughts about this interesting phenomenon in the comments section.
