Walking on water. After reaching the sea ice at 82° North, we came across this young male Polar Bear riding the storm swells and navigating effortlessly through a maze of pack ice. One of the most incredible sights I’ve witnessed in the Arctic. Watch until the end to see the power of the swell moving beneath the ice. Captured on the Ronin 4D aboard @lecommandantcharcot on our way to the North Pole. #exploration #ponant #arctic #polarbear
Polar Bear vs Beluga. In the high Arctic pack ice, we came across a pod of Beluga whales swimming along the ice edge. We’d spent days making our way out to the marginal ice zone in the direction of Greenland and this sighting completely caught us off guard. Soon after spotting the Beluga, a Polar Bear came into view from the distance and tried twice to hunt one of the Beluga as they surfaced for air. As a crew member on board, I was exceedingly careful when capturing this moment from an aerial perspective. This is the first time I have flown a drone to document wildlife in the Arctic, and I was extremely conscious of maintaining a large distance to avoid any disturbance to the Bear and Beluga’s behaviours. Thanks to the newest innovation in drones, I was able to use the 168mm telephoto lens on the Mavic 4 Pro to capture these scenes from afar. At all times I closely monitored the behaviour of the bear to ensure I did not impact its behaviour. I only used a single battery to capture this sequence to minimise my time in the air. These scenes were captured in the international marginal ice zone, sitting just south of the North Pole more than 12 nautical miles from the northern tip of Svalbard. @naturalworldsafaris
One of the biggest glacial calving events I’ve ever witnessed, deep in the fjords of Scoresbysund. A few days into our East Greenland expedition, @siggiworld and I noticed a few shards of ice beginning to fall from the edge of this outlet glacier. We sent our drones on a mission to get a closer look. Right as we positioned the drones for two different angles and began to record, this entire section of the glacier released. The chance timing left us in disbelief. The sounds were immense, as was the wave that soon made its way under our sailing boat. I have never seen so much ice activity in one week, the temperature fluctuations had been quite extreme with heavy rain and then clear cold conditions. Glacial calving sounds added from the @artlist.io SFX library. #greenland
The wildest shoot of my career. Here are a couple of unseen angles from the moment I witnessed a Polar Bear attempting to hunt a Beluga whale pod in the Arctic pack ice, located in the marginal ice zone between Svalbard and Greenland. This whole moment unfolded so quickly and revealed the sheer intensity that can arise out of nowhere in these otherwise very calm and desolate sea ice landscapes. Captured on a voyage with @naturalworldsafaris. #polarbear #beluga
Encounters and sounds from the Arctic sea ice. The last 12 months of my career have had some truly once in a lifetime moments documenting Polar Bears in the marginal ice zone, situated just south of the North Pole. I have been preparing for an upcoming exhibition and decided to put a series of these moments together, giving a broader window into the life of these magnificent creatures in one of the harshest and most remote environments on the planet. All of these scenes were captured during ship-based expeditions across the Arctic.
A polar bear attempts to hunt beluga whales swimming along the edge of Arctic sea ice.
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hookThe dramatic sight of a polar bear leaning over icy water near swimming whales stops viewers instantly.
Striking subject. A hungry polar bear stands at the edge of a snowy ice sheet.
Dramatic setting. Dark ocean water cuts through white snow under bright daylight.
Natural sound. Ocean waves and wind create a tense wilderness mood.
Broad appeal. Wild animal footage from the high Arctic attracts viewers of all ages.
retainThe dramatic hunt sequence keeps viewers watching to see if the polar bear succeeds.
High tension. The bear leaps into the water right over the swimming whales.
Visual storytelling. Real video shows the full action without needing any explanatory text.
Medium pacing. The video uses 6 shots in 33.0 seconds, shifting angles roughly every 5.5 seconds.
Clear sequence. The story follows the bear watching, leaping, missing, and climbing back onto the ice.
Right length. The 33.0 second duration gives enough time to show the full hunt.
rewardViewers feel a strong sense of wonder at rare Arctic wildlife fighting to survive.
Thrilling suspense. Watching a real predator leap into cold ocean water creates exciting tension.
Awe of nature. Beautiful drone shots show beluga whales swimming in clear icy water.
Real life lesson. Viewers see how difficult hunting can be for top Arctic predators.
b e n j a m i npolar bearbeluga whalearctic wildlifenature documentarydrone videosea icehuntpredatorsgreenlandsvalbardocean animalswild naturepolar wildlifehunting
At the edge of survival. Here’s an extended look into the moment I witnessed a Polar Bear attempt to hunt a beluga whale in the high Arctic pack ice. Captured in the marginal ice zone between Greenland and Svalbard, the gateway to the North Pole.
One tall ship, alone in the drake passage. It’s no easy feat to sail @barkeuropa to Antarctica, especially when the weather turns. Working together with our captain and the other crew members on board, one of the goals from this expedition was to capture the first ever aerials of Bark Europa on the drake passage under full sail. Months of preparation went into this shoot, with special permissions in place to operate the drone during our crossing, north of the Antarctic convergence. Operating the drone in high wind and swell was extremely complex, but it all worked out in the end. In the future I’ll share some insights to the process. These videos give us a chance to look into the past, to imagine how it must have been for the first ships who sailed in these waters to reach Antarctica. Even today, many of these experiences on board remain similar to early exploration on a tall ship like @barkeuropa, which is 115 years old. Though we do have satellite connection in the bridge, modern clothing and amazing food, all 57 passengers and crew on board are completely offline and work together to sail the ship, hauling ropes and clipped in at the helm all hours of the day steering the ship, no matter the weather. Hard work is an understatement. Chasing the winds, our sailing route can be vastly different to the Antarctic cruise ships, meaning we are often completely alone for the crossing. In these scenes were under full sail with our engine off, feeling the power of the drake. There’s so much more to come from this expedition, stay tuned ⚓️ #drakepassage #tallship #sailing #antarctica #barkeuropa
A high view from the top of a tall sailing ship shows dark ocean water filled with floating ice.
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hookA person stops scrolling because the wild view from high on a ship mast over a frozen sea looks huge and peaceful.
First view. A tall wooden mast sways above a dark sea filled with chunks of white ice.
Cold scene. The gloomy sky and dark cold water make the ocean look endlessly big.
Natural sound. Gentle wind and soft water sounds play in the original audio instead of music.
Big appeal. Anyone who likes ocean trips or wild nature will want to look.
retainPeople watch to the end because the ship sways slowly and the endless ice feels calm and massive.
Simple idea. Looking down from the high crow's nest shows how small the boat is in the giant ocean.
Real feeling. The quiet movement of the ship makes you feel like you are standing high in the cold air.
Single take. The video is one unbroken take for 9.6 seconds with no cuts.
Crucial ship. The wooden poles and ropes in the front give context to how high up the camera is.
Short length. The short 9.6 seconds lets you soak in the view without getting bored.
rewardViewers leave feeling amazed by the huge ocean and calm after watching the gentle movement.
Feeling small. You feel tiny compared to the huge icy sea stretching out forever.
Deep calm. The slow rocking motion and soft wind bring a sense of peace.
Wanting travel. You might wish you could explore distant icy places on a wooden ship.
benjaminantarcticaoceansailing shipicecrows nestadventurecold seaicebergtraveltall shipexplorationnatureview from abovepolar landscapequiet momentdark water
From the crows nest. A view into the vast ocean of ice along the Antarctic peninsula. I recently shared an image set from this voyage I worked on in Antarctica, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share this #shotoniphone video from the same moment as well. Being up at the very top of the mast and looking out at what feels like an infinite abyss of ocean ahead really makes you feel small ⚓️ #antarctica
The home of the Polar Bear. Today we reached the marginal ice zone at 82° on our way down from the North Pole. This area was full of newly formed circular pancake ice and marks the bridge between the open ocean and the dense Arctic sea ice. After a week of seeing no Polar bears further north (only a few tracks), we witnessed 6 individual and healthy looking Polar Bears in the marginal ice zone, as well as a few seals. This area seems to be teeming with life. Seeing Polar Bears stand up always comes as a shock. It seems like an unnatural movement but is something that they do all the time to get a higher vantage point. Captured on the Ronin 4D on board @lecommandantcharcot as we make our way towards Greenland out at sea. #polarbear #ponant #lecommandantcharcot #exploration #arctic #wildlife
Between the ice floes. In a remote region of the Arctic pack ice, I witnessed a lone Polar Bear in transit over the ice floes. Some of the floes are too far apart to jump, so the most efficient route is to swim between and even sometimes underneath them. Polar Bears have an incomprehensible level of endurance and survival instincts, being able to swim for hundreds of kilometres in a single continuous push. Working as a crew member on this Arctic sea ice voyage, I was exceedingly careful when capturing this moment from an aerial perspective. At all times I closely monitored the behaviour of the bear to ensure I did not impact its behaviour. These scenes were captured with @naturalworldsafaris in the international marginal ice zone, sitting just south of the North Pole and more than 12 nautical miles from the northern tip of Svalbard. This video is not AI.
Finding balance. In the distance I noticed this iceberg begin to lift on one side, as if it had suddenly woken up from a long rest. As the iceberg searched for stability, some huge pieces collapsed into the fjord, causing a thunderous echo across the mountains. Once it finally settled, a wave rolled over the blue surface. A colour combination so vivid that it can put you in a trance. Moments like this are constantly occurring throughout the summer, but it is a huge challenge to film them as you never know where or when it might occur. #greenland
“Little by little, day by day, a ship at sea will find its way.” It’s best to just get out of harbor, get out of safekeeping, run head first into the unknown. So often we spend our lives wondering “what if?” and never dare to try and answer. It’s not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. Life is a gift and all of us have the passion within us to strive for great things, even when we feel we may never achieve them. There is no amount of time spent idle that can silence that curiosity within us, we have to answer it. It’s our greatest calling, to open up to the opportunities and reach out in hopes of finding something out there, wherever that may be. Original video masterfully captured by @benjaminhardman Hand drawnAnimation recreated by @1924us #1924us #benjaminhardman #sailboat #arctic #animation #ghibli #mrskelly #beautiful #cool #inspiration #motivation #hope #courage #adventure #fyp #reels #explorepage
Roaming into the blue hour. On my journey back down to Greenland from the North Pole, we came across this beautiful Polar Bear at the edge of the Arctic pack ice. It was one of the last days of light before the 24 hours dark season set in for the winter. Could you imagine life on the sea ice in complete darkness, relying purely on sense of smell? #arctic #polarbear
Sailing the drake passage to Antarctica on @barkeuropa. Would you dare to join? Here are some totally raw moments and sounds from my camera roll looking back on the last few weeks at sea on the way to Antarctica. We experienced some truly wild moments on the drake passage, with waves towering above the ship up to 7-8 meters high and winds of unbelievable strength. These moments make you truly appreciate the power of nature. I have soo much to share, but here are a few unfiltered clips to get started ⚓️
