Arctic Expedition, Day 3 : Witnessing A Very Rare Spectacle - A Fat Polar Bear Attempts to Hunt Reindeer on Land

The same afternoon, an announcement came that another polar bear had been spotted walking along the shoreline on the starboard side. As usual, I rushed to the bow, where I knew the view would be perfect since the boat was turning perpendicular to the coast and heading straight ahead.

As we got closer, we first saw a couple of reindeer grazing calmly in the tundra. There was no sign of a polar bear nearby. Rumors started to spread that the crew had mistaken reindeer for a polar bear. Even I started to believe it because it seemed so convincing. The reindeer were as calm as cucumbers. If there had been a predator around, the prey should have been on full alert.

But nature surprised us once again. Far off in the opposite direction, we spotted a whitish blob moving closer. It was the king of the Arctic himself, a huge, strong male polar bear. His slow but powerful walk showed he knew he was the boss. The alpha attitude was clear in every step.

We saw the bear moving towards the reindeer, and the distance between them was closing. Soon, it became clear that he was targeting them. We held our breath, anticipating one of the rarest sights in nature, a polar bear hunting reindeer. It was a truly nail-biting wait. 

Although reindeer are not usual prey for polar bears, they are extremely opportunistic and will go after whatever food is available, especially if other sources are scarce.

Finally, the moment came. The bear crouched low and carefully took each step, moving stealthily toward the reindeer. Then suddenly, he burst into a run, chasing after them as fast as he could. But the reindeer were just too quick. The bear couldn’t match their speed, especially since he was quite large and overweight, which made long-distance chasing difficult. It looked like he wanted to give a try anyway, not caring about the result. After all, he could always rely on seals or belugas when he wanted. He was the King. 

I still feel the thrill and adrenaline from that episode. It was a true blessing to witness such a rare event. The shock on everyone’s faces was clear, and the same question was on everyone’s minds: “What the hell just happened?”

The huge polar bear trying to hunt reindeer