Stunning image of a polar bear with an outsized snack wins major award

Roie Galitz's breathtaking shot is one of the winners of the 2026 World Press Photo Contest, praised for its unusual perspective and scale

By Sophie Farrow

19 August 2026

Title: Polar Bear on Sperm Whale Credit: ?? Roie Galitz Caption: A female polar bear feeds on a sperm whale carcass in the polar pack ice north of the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard. 82?? North, International Waters, 8 July 2025. Story: Polar bears are primarily seal predators, but as ice retreats in the summer and hunting becomes harder, they increasingly rely on opportunistic scavenging. Near Svalbard, the ice-free season has lengthened by 20 weeks in the last 30 years. Sperm whales typically avoid ice-covered polar waters, so this carcass was a rare sight. Scientists speculate that after dying, the male sperm whale drifted north, carried by winds and currents. The photographer spent two days observing the scene from a small boat, capturing it by drone to reveal a scale difficult to grasp from sea level. — Roie Galitz/World Press Photo

Roie Galitz
2026 World Press Photo Contest

Dwarfed by her dinner, a female polar bear feasts on the carcass of a sperm whale more than 100 times her mass, a deep-diving giant weighing more than 35 tonnes and usually found far below the ocean鈥檚 surface.

This shot, , was captured by Roie Galitz, and is one of the winners of the 2026 World Press Photo Contest. The image was taken from a small boat, using a drone. 鈥淚ts unusual perspective and scale provoke curiosity and wonder, turning the frame into a visual and conceptual study of nature,鈥� said the competition鈥檚 jury in an announcement about Galitz鈥檚 win.

The male sperm whale carcass makes for an unusual snack when compared with polar bears鈥� more typical seal meal. The location of the shot is also intriguing 鈥� captured in the polar pack ice north of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, the shallow sea is far from the open-ocean trenches sperm whales usually inhabit. According to , while most whales sink after dying, gas production during decomposition causes roughly 10 per cent of them to become buoyant, and their carcasses drift into shallower seas.

Although visually captivating, the shot acts as a stark reminder of the devastating effects Arctic warming is having on polar bears. Despite the bears鈥� best efforts at adaptation, their melting habitat presents a bleak outlook, with numbers expected to significantly decline before 2100.

The image can be seen as part of the World Press Photo Exhibition, in London until 30 September.

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