I have lived in the Arctic for a cumulative of about 40 years, but this expedition was the first time I had ever reached the North Pole. As our small team navigated deeper through the grinding slabs of ice, we came across this polar bear, following the sea ice into the farthest reach of its range. I watched as he picked his way across the frozen expanse, his nose pressed to each crack beneath his great paws, searching for seals.