Where the Ice Begins
Sixty-five polar expeditions. Thirty thousand frames.The definitive photographic authority on Earth’s greatest Arctic predator.
Tom Kokta
Award-winning wildlife photographer specializing in extreme Arctic environments. Over eight years documenting polar bear behavior across Churchill, Svalbard, and the remote Wapusk National Park — one of the few photographers granted repeated winter access to the denning grounds.
Work featured in major publications worldwide. Expedition advisor to premium Arctic travel operators. Every image on this site is original, field-captured work — no stock, no composites, no AI generation.
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Choose Your Expedition
Four distinct polar bear experiences. Each expedition offers a fundamentally different encounter — different behavior, different light, different landscapes.
Edge Of The Ice
Navigate the Arctic archipelago aboard expedition vessels, following the pack ice edge where bears hunt ringed seals. The midnight sun
Den Emergence
The rarest polar bear field experience: maternity-den emergence in Wapusk, where access is limited, weather is severe, and every frame
The Great Wait
The most accessible polar bear expedition on Earth: Churchill in the freeze-up season, when bears gather along Hudson Bay and
Mother & Cubs
A focused late-winter expedition following polar bear family groups as mothers guide cubs from denning country toward the Hudson Bay
Edge Of The Ice
Navigate the Arctic archipelago aboard expedition vessels, following the pack ice edge where bears hunt ringed seals. The midnight sun provides 24 hours of shooting light. This is expedition photography at its most immersive.
Den Emergence
The rarest polar bear field experience: maternity-den emergence in Wapusk, where access is limited, weather is severe, and every frame depends on distance and restraint.
The Great Wait
The most accessible polar bear expedition on Earth: Churchill in the freeze-up season, when bears gather along Hudson Bay and wait for the sea ice to return.
Mother & Cubs
A focused late-winter expedition following polar bear family groups as mothers guide cubs from denning country toward the Hudson Bay coast.