Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

I've already spoken about National Geographic Wallpapers several times because they're wonderful and they are a great free-to-download resource to breath a little bit of wildlife. They are updated each month with the best pictures from NG photographers. This month (April 2009) I particularly like the shot, you can see here above, of a young bear taking a leap between small ice drifts. The connection with the global warming and the heavy consequencies it's having on Polar Bear's habitat is obvious and the colours of the water are truly amazing.
The author of this picture is Paul Nicklen one of my favourite National Geographic photographers, famous for his great reportages of the arctic world.
This picture infact it's part of a National Geographic set dedicated to the Svalbard archipelago that can be found here.


Map by Virginia W. Mason, NG Staff; Source: Norwegian Polar Institute

Svalbard islands are a naturalistic paradise of immeasurable beauty for all the arctic environnment. Unfortunately the global warming is endangering this icy eden that had already lost the 30% of the ice coverage that there was in the 1979.
Paul Niclen images lead us in this wonderful place where the nature is still truly WILD. Let's hope it may continue this way in the future centuries:


Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

Photography by Paul Nicklen, via NGM

If you've liked these pictures check the whole NG gallery here., where you can also read all the captions of these wonderful photographs