Growing up in a small Inuit community on Baffin Island in Canada's
Arctic, Paul Nicklen spent his childhood years observing nature and traveling
on the land. He learned from the Inuit how to survive in the Arctic and
developed a keen interest in observing wildlife.
After completing a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology at the
University of Victoria, British Columbia, Nicklen returned to the Northwest
Territories and began his career as a wildlife biologist with the Department of
Renewable Resources. He worked on such species as lynx, grizzly bears, bison,
caribou and polar bears. His camera was always by his side, and he soon
realized that he could better serve wildlife populations by becoming a wildlife
and nature photojournalist. His goal is to bridge the gap between scientific
research and public knowledge on wildlife subjects and climate change by
producing stories for magazines such as National Geographic. He has published ten stories for National
Geographic, most recently, South Georgia, Antarctica in December 2010.
Since 1995, Nicklen has specialized in photographing the Arctic and
Antarctica and their wild inhabitants. With an emphasis on underwater
photography, he excels in working in harsh environments and cross-cultural
situations. His photographic style reflects a reverence for the creatures that
inhabit the isolated polar regions, and his unique background gives him the
confidence to photograph in the most inhospitable, remote and challenging
places on the planet.
Nicklen’s work has taken him from swimming with leopard seals in
Antarctica to flying his ultralight airplane over the sea ice near Baffin
Island. He also completed a three-month solo expedition into the high
Arctic, living on the open tundra with bears and wolves.
In October 2000, Nicklen's first book, “Seasons of the Arctic,” was released by Douglas & McIntyre (Canada)
and Sierra Club Books (U.S.). His second book, “Polar Obsession,” was published
by National Geographic in November 2009 and is already in its third printing.
He has received more than 20 international awards for his work,
including five awards with World Press Photo, three with Pictures of the Year
International, two with Communication Arts and 10 with BBC Wildlife
Photographer of the Year.
Nicklen lives in Whitehorse,
Yukon, with his wife, Lyn, and their husky, Bo.
