"They look like sheep.. what do you think Max”, said Dr. John aboard the Akademik Shokalskiy looking toward the cliffs and soft slopes of tundra Wrangel Island. “They’re Polar Bears,” said Max incredulously and asked Rodney Russ the Expedition leader of Heritage Expeditions to have a look for himself.
Rodney at first thought they were lumps of ice, and Alexander Gruzdev from Wrangel Island State Nature Reserve initially said it couldn’t be Polar Bears because there wouldn’t be that many... but there WERE that many!
Within 15 minutes we quietly embarked into zodiacs to cruise slowly and quietly past this natural phenomenon difficult to adequately articulate.
181 - one hundred and eighty-one polar bears on the hillside around the carcass of a dead whale with approximately 60 others walking towards the round-stoned beach.
Rangers from the island confirmed the presence of 260 bears that day; one mum with quadruplets; and many with triplets. There seemed to be a second mum with quads, but upon careful inspection, we saw the mum endeavoring to herd away the fourth from her own triplets.
This Polar Bear feasting on a whale was an incredulous sight never witnessed before, and we were so privileged to experience it.
Whispers of astonishment; endless clicking of shutters; splashes from the sea; and the deep vocal calls intertwined in the cold arctic wind."
Many thanks to Julie and Max Stephenson for sharing their incredible photographs with us.
Click here to see a slideshow of some once in a lifetime images from this fantastic Polar Bear sighting.
To learn more about Wrangel Island expeditions
Hundreds of Polar Bears come together - 4 October 2017 BBC Newsround
Over 200 Polar Bears filmed feasting on whale carcass in Bowhead banquet - 4 October 2017 Newsweek
Video captures massive pack of Polar Bears mauling dead whale - 4 October 2017 Newshub