Polar Bears Run This Abandoned Island, And They Are Enjoying Every Minute Of It

“Nature always sends you something when you least expect it.”

Damjan

• Published in Animal Stories
• June 13, 2022

Dmitry Kokh, a wildlife and underwater photographer, did a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to an abandoned meteorological station on Kolyuchin Island. This little island in the Chukchi Sea is located in a remote part of Russia's arctic.

While humans have long since abandoned the area, Kokh has learned that other species have taken up residence.

Polar bears have taken over the station, converting the derelict structures into warm homes and, based on appearances, thriving. We regularly see images of polar bears in distress, therefore Kokh's photos are a wonderful sight.

But we can see these amazing creatures resting on the lawn or gazing out the windows to see what Kokh is up to here. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe polar bears is one Kokh will never forget.

In a sailboat, he and his companions traveled almost 1,200 kilometers along the coast, exploring the pristine countryside. Wrangle Island, where they planned to photograph polar bears, turned out to be a dud.

Despite the fact that the island is known for its bears, they were not present when the explorers arrived. Instead, they were given something possibly better—and certainly more unexpected.

“Nature always sends you something when you least expect it,” Kokh says. It was a beginning of an interesting adventure. Let's find out more:

Dmitry Kokh's is a wildlife and underwater photographer.

And he had once-in-a-lifetime encounter with polar bears in a place he didn't expect to find them.

Kolyuchin Island is a small piece of land in Chukchi Sea, a remote area of the Russian arctic.

Humans have long since left the area and the old meteorological station.

“When we passed through the Kolyuchin Island near the Northern coast of Chukotka, we saw some movements in the windows of the abandoned houses. And when we got close—those were bears!

Never before they were seen in those buildings, so that was a once-in-a-lifetime situation,” Kokh says.

Other creatures are making themselves comfortable now.

We can see these incredible creatures lounging on the grass

During the Soviet era, there was a weather station on Kolyuchin Island. Despite the fact that the station was closed in 1992, the abandoned settlement on the island still exists.

The severe wind and rain, as well as the abandoned structures on the rocky coastlines, make the surroundings look very surreal. We bet the sudden appearance of polar bears didn't make it any less surreal.

Or taking a walk

“Nature always sends you something when you least expect it,” Kokh says.

"When we passed through the Kolyuchin Island near the Northern coast of Chukotka, we saw some movements in the windows of the abandoned houses."

The photographer's curiosity to investigate these movements led to these amazing photos.

And how did the polar bears get to the island? Well, they swam.

Polar bears can swim for vast distances and steadily for several hours to move from one sheet of ice to another, and they can achieve speeds of up to 6 mph in the water. Their huge paws are designed specifically for swimming, and they'll use them to paddle through the water while keeping their rear legs flat like a rudder.

Damjan