Baby Harp Seal

[davebriggsphotography]

I’ve always been drawn to the mountains but there’s magic in the expanse of wide open spaces. On expedition with @arctickingdomexpeditions #kingsofthearcticsafari #sharecangeo #loves_arctic #igloolik #sea_legacy #canadiancreatives #gratitude #canon7d #canoncanada #nunavut (at Igloolik, Nunavut)

[davebriggsphotography]

Tranquil water on Muckross Lake in Killarney National Park, Ireland #ireland #instagood #reflection #mytravel

[davebriggsphotography]

Big yawn... this is how I'm feeling this lazy Sunday. #polarbear #nunavut #arctickingdomexpeditions #natgeo #shotoftheday #love #gratitude

[davebriggsphotography]

A Thanksgiving thought.... the traditional fall harvest isn't necessarily all about the turkey.

[davebriggsphotography]

For me... this was the most beautiful brown bear I've had the pleasure to photograph. For her... annoyed that she missed in her attempt to catch a salmon. On expedition with @arctickingdomexpeditions on Kurilskoye Lake, Kamchatka Peninsula Russia. #kamchatka #loveit #nature #wildlifephotography #arctickingdom #brownbear #smile #natgeo

[davebriggsphotography]

Unfortunate for the salmon but comical to witness... this brown bear pulled and pulled until he couldn't stretch any further. He then tossed the salmon in the air and abandoned it in favour of more exciting live fish. On expedition with @arctic_kingdom #brownbears #kamchatka #nature #wildlifephotography #amazing #loveit

[davebriggsphotography]

The quick and erratic flight of insects makes photographing them a real challenge. With some persistence I was eventually rewarded with this image of a bumblebee flighting towards a flowering Spiraea plant. #amazing #insect #instagood #like4like #plants #bumblebee

[davebriggsphotography]

I would usually cringe at the thought of snow in the summer, but in the Arctic this is not unexpected. Besides, when it dusts the hills and provides an added textural layer to a photograph I can live with it. Taken while on expedition with @arctickingdomexpeditions #amazing #reflection #canadiancreatives #smile #like4like #mountains #ice (at Qikiqtarjuaq / Baffin Island)

[davebriggsphotography]

While leading Arctic Kingdom's Baffin Island Dive Safari we can across an awesome ice cave. Long icicles guarding the entrance evoked thoughts of a mystical creatures lurking within the large cavern. #beauty #natgeo #instagood #love #photooftheday #follow #ice #cave

[davebriggsphotography]

Blue Jays, like the Northern Cardinal, are a bird I vividly remember as a child. The Cardinal for its brilliant red colour and distinctive song and the Blue Jay for its boisterous attitude. I missed their presence the years I lived in British Columbia and now having returned to Ontario I have a renewed joy in seeing these beautiful birds.

[davebriggsphotography]

Flashlight Photo by David Briggs -- National Geographic Your Shot

Antelope Canyon. . . during the rainy season water rushing through the canyon erodes the Navajo Sandstone. It is the erosional power of the water that creates the smooth sculpted walls of the canyons. Surprisingly, the magical colours of the canyon are not fully perceived by the human eye, but are captured in photographic images.

[davebriggsphotography]

The Northern Cardinal is non-migratory and therefore can be seen in southern Ontario throughout the year. However, for myself they are synonymous with Spring with their distinctive and beautiful songs welcoming the advancing daylight hours. #cardinal #cute #natgeo #nature #photooftheday #love #instagood #follow #me

[davebriggsphotography]

This scene took place in a public square in Old Havana, Cuba. The combination of the colourfully dressed cigar smoking woman and the classic bronze colonial figure taking in the antics is amongst my favourite images from a recent trip to Cuba. #instagood #love #photooftheday #followme #Cuba #travel #natgeo

[davebriggsphotography]

On March 14th we arrived at Wat'chee Lodge located adjacent to Wapusk National Park. . . a park south/west of Churchill, Manitoba protecting the critical denning habitat for polar bears. It is here that we came to witness the natural wonder of newborn polar bears emerging from their birthplace and experiencing their snow and ice covered world for the first time. After enduring 6 days of frigid temperatures waiting patiently at the den opening for 9 hours each day we were finally and very gratefully rewarded with this sight. #arctic, #polarbear, #cub, #cute, #gratitude, #nationalgeographic, #churchill

[davebriggsphotography]

We came to Wapusk National Park south of Churchill Manitoba to witness the natural wonder of a mother polar bear emerge from her maternity den with her 3-month old cub(s). While we await this event we have been treated to another natural wonder. . . the Aurora Borealis #northern lights, #aurora borealis, #polar bear, #cute, #arctic

[davebriggsphotography]

It’s already that time. . . after a few short weeks it’s time to say good-bye to baby harp seals for another year. It’s been a season of extensive ice, which bodes well for the initial hurdle in the life a Harp Seal. In 2011 there was a significant reduction in sea ice resulting in a mortality rate of 70%.

[davebriggsphotography]

After 12 days of nursing the pups will be weaned from the energy rich diet of their mothers milk, which is upwards of 50% fat. Having gained 5lbs a day they will now weigh 80 lbs and will be left to fend for themselves. Shortly after weaning the brilliant white coat of the pups will start to develop dark spots of the developing juvenile coat. #seal #harpseal #cute #gratitude #nature #climatechange #arctickindgom @elplanetaphoto