Dee Ann says: Although it’s only October on Alaska’s north coast, temperatures already hover in the 20’s (F - 10 below 0 C) and snow covers the ground. Here on Barter Island, near the tiny native village of Kaktovik, polar bears gather each fall in one of nature’s spectacles, and wait for the return of the winter sea ice, so they may resume their carnivorous ways – hunting seals from the ice pack. With only a few week of waiting left, a polar bear mother and her cub take a break from this rigorous work of waiting to play and relax in the snow.  I have always wanted an exceptional action shot of a brown bear just coming out of the river from fishing while shaking off the water but never expected the halo of snow captured in action here as the mother polar bear shook off snow.