Even after working as a wildlife biologist researching polar bears and photographing well over 3,000 of them in the wild, I had never before seen a mama bear emerge from her den. She had a quiet strength to her as she tipped her nose to the winds, a pair of cubs sticking close to her fur. Soon she would follow the smell of the sea ice with her new family to where she will gorge on seals, finally breaking her nearly 8-month fast. Over time, her cubs will steadily gain weight on her rich milk and hopefully grow to be wise bears just like their mama, navigating the challenges of their ever-warming world.