Paul Nicklen's Polar Obsession Photos

Renowned National Geographic extreme photojournalist Paul Nicklen has released a new book titled Polar Obsession, which chronicles his expedition underwater and across the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. From documenting the lives of polar animals to majestic landscapes, Nicklen hopes to inspire people to protect these vulnerable regions and its inhabitants.

Check out these photos from Polar Obsession and vote for your favorite!

Paul Nicklen emerges numb from the cold after an hour under the ice. Admiralty Inlet, Nunavut, Canada (p. 15)



Photo credit: Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

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Comments

[OldSkooler]

09:04 PM on 11/16/2009

The one place in the world I really want to visit is Svalbard, way up in the Arctic Ocean where some of these pictures were taken.

I can't express how thankful I am to people like Paul Nicklen for bringing to us this incredible look into a world of which we'll never have firsthand knowledge, no matter how much we'd love to. Thank you thank you thank you.

I sure hope my comment appears because for some reason my comments have been disappearing and I haven't even been rude of off-topic. Very disconcerting.

[Eleka bobV]

04:55 AM on 11/16/2009

Amazing

[mamacat]

10:00 PM on 11/15/2009

Wonderful pics, I want to see more! I had no idea that leopard seals were so huge. That photographer is very brave to expose himself to them that way.

[Tommygun264]

06:55 AM on 11/15/2009

I am fascinated by the size and formidable strength of the leopard seals. The pictures and captions seem to suggest that the leopard seals are tolerant of, if not playful with humans in the water. I was under the impression that these creatures tend to be rather territorial and aggressive, more like the walrus in temperament than the more docile and playful sea lions. Would anyone be able to set me straight on this subject?

[Gnrshrtd]

03:05 PM on 11/13/2009

Good to see this news. My avatar pic is from a photo my nephew took - he volunteers time every summer in Manitoba working with eco-tourists to raise awareness on this issue. It's good to read the population is recovering - and thanks to the many people who helped make it happen.

[jws2346]

02:32 PM on 11/13/2009

Thank you Paul Nicklen and National Geographic. Those are some beautiful pictures of some beautiful creatures.

[Spiky Kitten]

09:40 PM on 11/12/2009

Great pictures

You can see the polar bear saying - come a little bit closer.

[sweetest escape]

08:57 PM on 11/12/2009

wow the blue in some of those pictures is absolutely beautiful!

[Dahun]

08:01 PM on 11/12/2009

Absolutely gorgeous pictures. So good to know that Polar Bears are at the highest levels in recorded history. Shame that the Canadian government has increased the limit on hunting because in some areas the increased populations are considered as dangerous.

It will no doubt come as news to many of you that the ice levels have started to recover in the Arctic. Considering that Antarctica has increased ice coverage steadily over the last 30 years, it seems we will not flood out NY City very soon.

Hey, more good news. Shares of carbon credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange have hit 1 cent from the high for these derivatives of close to $8 when Cap and Trade passed the house. I sure hope Al Gore, Jeffery Immelt of GE and Henry Paulsen sold at the high of + $7. I'm sure that they probably did, not that they would have had any inside information.

[Please-Play-Fair]

05:51 PM on 11/13/2009

You know that you've just opened yourself up to the wrath of any and all liberals just because you are a "non believer" in global warming. I'm just waiting for all of the attacking responses ...

[Tommygun264]

06:49 AM on 11/15/2009

Lets set aside the fact that over 192 peer reviewed studies from across the globe have proven that global climate change exists. The term global warming is a misleading term propagated by a lazy mainstream public media that sends out reporters with very little if any education in environmental science, because although the overall trend is toward a steady rise in planetary temperatures, it is the sudden, dramatic and untimely shifts in weather patterns (record highs followed immediately by record lows, generating more violent and destructive weather systems and throwing off the mating, feeding and migratory patterns of species which used to overlap and interlink, causing massive rises and falls in interdependent insect, amphibian and bird species are already beginning to have an effect on the health and populations of many wild animals higher up on the food chain) pose just as great a threat to our way of life as carbon levels and overall heating of the atmosphere. But let's ignore all the evidence to the contrary aside and ask, if we as a people pursue renewable energy instead of continuing to burn carbon fuels, what would we suffer if we were wrong other than greater energy independence and more diverse sources of energy that can be generated within our own borders so we don't have to invade other countries to slake our unquenchable thirst for oil?

[canuck4barack]

01:31 AM on 11/17/2009

And don't forget a cleaner atmosphere.

[Morganster]

07:22 PM on 11/12/2009

And to think, in Sarah Palin's opinion not one of those beautiful polar bears is worthy of existence.

In 2008, as Governor of Alaska, she fought against wildlife protection for these magnificent creatures.

[Sensiblebg]

06:51 PM on 11/12/2009

Cool Pics!

[Dnietz]

03:08 PM on 11/12/2009

such beautiful animals

if it is a choice between them and the repubs, i pick them. i'm not sure the two can coexist on the same planet.

lets send all the repubs to mars. they seem to like the god of ŵ@ŗ anyway. and they sure love to invade the desert.

[lovesickbilly]

03:06 PM on 11/12/2009

I'm pretty sure that it was the man feeding the leopard seal a penguin and not the other way around. Srsly, HuffPo, where is the proofreading?

[chare]

02:45 PM on 11/14/2009

The caption is correct, actually. I heard the photographer being interviewed on NPR and the seal was confused about what the man wanted so it started tossing penguins at him to feed him! He said he has the whole series of photos in his book.

[Flokk]

12:19 PM on 11/12/2009

Amazing pictures.

[shutterbabe]

12:01 PM on 11/12/2009

Thank you, Paul Nicklen, for your incredible images. There is so much beauty to see.