Synchronised swimming for bears? No, just an incredible reflection in crystal clear Arctic ice




With their numbers dwindling, you might imagine polar bears would be glad of some company.



But from the look of this polar bear pictured swimming in Northern Canada, he’d prefer not to be interrupted during his underwater alone time.



This tranquil shot of the bear – and his startlingly clear reflection in the ice – was included as part of a new collection of photographs from the world’s harshest environments.



The planet’s most daring photographers have combined to create a showcase of the finest images from Earth’s least hospitable areas.



Solitary swimmer: A polar bear shoots a bewildered look at the camera in Lancaster Sound, Nunavut, Canada

Glass ceiling: Another ringed seal floats calmly beneath the frozen surface of the Lancaster Sound

Smile for the camera: A ringed seal sizes up to Paul Nicklen as he shoots in the freezing water of the Northwest Passage

Ice-brows: Paul Nicklen's face confirms the harsh conditions of his unorthodox workplace Currently on display at the Annenberg Space in Los Angeles, the Extreme Exposure exhibit shows the work of five photographers specialising in shooting in testing conditions, whether snow caps, volcanoes or dense jungles.

Included in the exhibition is Clyde Butcher’s Swamplands collection and Michael Nichols’ Lush Jungle snaps but the beautiful pictures shown here come from Paul Nicklen’s polar images.

Raised in an Inuit community, Nicklen’s photography is dedicated to capturing one of the coldest environments on earth, whether through pictures of floating polar bears or hunting seals.

The photographs here were taken in the Lancaster Sound in Nunavut, Canada, a body of water lying between Devon Island and Baffin Island in the Northwest Passage.

As well as the polar bear and seals shown here, the Sound is home to thousands of Arctic cod, beluga, the endangered bowhead whale and walrus, as well as several species of bird.



The area looked under threat when seismic testing for oil was given government approval until a Nunavut court opposed the decision in August last year, leading to proposals of a new marine park in the Sound.



‘This place has been called the Serengeti of the north,’ said Environment Minister John Baird in December after the local Inuit successfully halted plans for seismic experiments.



