Polar bears, as the largest extant bear species, as well as the largest land carnivores, are truly captivating creatures. However, most of us are used to seeing them surrounded by snow on the frozen waters of the Arctic. This is exactly why we were surprised to find out that Russian photographer Dmitry Kokh has managed to photograph these large animals at an abandoned weather station on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea. The station was built in 1934 and closed in 1992. It is quite unusual to see polar bears walking around in what feels like a post-apocalyptic human land.
"I always wanted to get some nice shots of polar bears, and that was the main target of our expedition. We expected to meet them mostly on Wrangel Island, famous all around the world for being home to many bears. Not this year, as we found out later—maybe because of the very cold summer. But nature always sends you something when you least expect it—when we passed by Kolyuchin Island near the Northern coast of Chukotka, we saw some movement in the abandoned windows there. And when we got close—those were bears! Never before were they seen in those buildings, so that was once-in-a-lifetime situation," the photographer told Bored Panda.
Wildlife photographer Dmitry Kokh took mesmerizing and unusual photos of polar bears at an abandoned weather station
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
This photo with a polar bear in the window titled “Summer Season” became the best representation of wildlife in a man-made environment in a competition held by a magazine called “Russia’s Wildlife”.
The photographer had to travel to the farthest and most eastern part of the Russian Arctic to take these shots
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Abandoned weather station on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
“Finally getting back from a long-awaited trip to Chukotka and Wrangel Island. Being the farthest and most eastern part of the Russian Arctic, this place is very hard to get to but also difficult to forget. We traveled by sailing yacht along the coast and covered more than 1200 miles of untouched landscapes, villages lost in time, diverse fauna, and seas full of life,” Dmitry wrote on his Instagram.
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
If someone asked how we imagine the end of the world looking, this image comes pretty close
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
"I always wanted to get some nice shots of polar bears, and that was the main target of our expedition," said the photographer
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Just your regular largest land carnivores, chilling
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Here are the amazing bears in action
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Dmitry has also captured polar bears in a more usual habitat for them
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh
Thanks to talented artists like this, we are able to see the world beyond our daily routines
Image credits: Dmitry Kokh