Into the blizzard at Nanuk. Jad Davenport photo
by Jad Davenport, National Geographic photographer and Churchill Wild Photo Leader
With the windchill at -50°C, the mamma and her cubs were hunkered down somewhere in the maze of black spruce south of Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. A lone cross fox bounced around the willows and a couple of gray jays flew backwards in the North wind. The snow squeaked like we were walking on Styrofoam.
We were hoping a calmer day on our Den Emergence Quest would follow and encourage the sow and her cubs to continue their journey towards the Arctic Ocean and seal pups, and safely away from the wolves. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, we were hoping to witness them putting their first tiny paw prints down on the ice.
And we did.
