January 31, 2025
We’re beyond excited to announce our partnership with the incredible, award-winning photographer Martin Gregus, whose breathtaking images of polar bears and the Hudson Bay area have captivated nature lovers around the globe—we can hardly believe he said yes!
Martin’s work brings to life the beauty and fragility of northern Manitoba’s landscapes and wildlife, perfectly aligning with our mission to protect 30% of Manitoba’s lands and waters by 2030.
In this exclusive interview, Martin shares why he’s joined CPAWS Manitoba in advocating for conservation, the stories behind his breathtaking photographs, and his thoughts on why safeguarding polar bears and their habitats is more critical than ever.
Read on to discover his inspiring perspective and learn how his art is making a difference for the wild places we all cherish.
Introduction
Martin Gregus is an internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer and cinematographer, originally from Bratislava, Slovakia. His passion for travel and photography began at the age of 8, nurtured in a home filled with artistic inspiration. Over nearly two decades, Martin has explored all seven continents, capturing the beauty and diversity of some of the world’s most remote and extraordinary ecosystems.
His work has earned widespread recognition, including two wins and three nominations at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in London. One of Martin’s most notable projects, 33 Days Among the Bears, offered an intimate look at polar bears and gained global acclaim after being featured in National Geographic in 2022.
Since then, Martin has continued his polar adventures, contributing to high-profile cinematic projects for Disney, BBC, and Netflix. Through his photography and filmmaking, Martin seeks to document the wonders of the natural world while raising awareness about its fragility and the critical need for conservation.
Motivation
What inspired you to partner with CPAWS Manitoba and contribute your photography to support the Protect Polar Bears campaign?
“Unlike the tourism organizations, governments, and communities I am just a single person and I don’t have the feet on the ground to enact real change right now. For me this is an opportunity to change that and to use my images for the benefit of the animal and environment that has changed my life; over the years the bears have shown me nothing but compassion and I hope we can do the same for them in the future.”
Your work beautifully captures the essence of the Hudson Bay region and its wildlife. What drew you to photograph polar bears and the northern Manitoba landscape in the first place?
” I first visited this part of Canada back in 2015 when myself and my father were working on a film and coffee table book on Canada. Fascinated by the abundance of wildlife and beauty of this region in the summer we decided to start planning a much larger project on this region which eventually turned into “33 Days Among Bears” and an ongoing project about the arctic summer.”
Connection to Conservation
As a photographer, how do you see your role in raising awareness about the need to protect polar bears and their habitats?
“There are many people that don’t get to see change as much as the photographers and cinematographers that work with the animals in the first place. Along with witnessing environmental challenges, we also get to build strong emotional connections with our subjects. These connections I hope to transfer through my images to my audience because I feel that we as people are a lot more inclined to protect something with which we have a strong emotional connection to. At least in this way the bears have played a crucial role in shaping my life and the way I look at preserving our planet, and I hope they will continue to shape and influence not just my life, but the lives of millions of people around the world in the future.”
Why do you believe conserving Manitoba’s lands and waters, particularly in the Hudson Bay area, is essential for the survival of polar bears and other wildlife?
“Polar bears around the world face a very challenging future, and as we ourselves start to understand climate change more and more, we are faced with the reality that we might be at risk of losing certain sub-populations in the future. After having worked along the Southern Hudson Bay for nearly 10 years, I strongly believe that this is a unique environment capable of safe guarding this species.”
Challenges & Urgency
What environmental changes or threats have you witnessed during your time photographing in northern Manitoba? How have they influenced your perspective on conservation?
“Over the years of working not just in Northern Manitoba, but also in the high arctic and Antarctic I have witnessed that nature is becoming ever more unpredictable. No matter where you go you can almost always point a finger to the year things really started to change and most of the time it’s under 20 years ago. Traveling to these places many might never visit comes with a tremendous responsibility of sharing a story that has the power to change the world’s view.
While nature is resilient and it will most certainly survive long after we do, it is incredibly delicate and it no longer has the luxury of time. And it most certainly doesn’t stand a chance if we turn back on our word and policies with the change of every government. We need to protect our planet’s last remaining wilderness and animals through policies and laws that will be valid for forever, no exceptions.”
The 30×30 campaign focuses on protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030. What impact do you think initiatives like this can have on preserving fragile ecosystems like those in northern Manitoba?
“I think in the future we need to start putting the needs of the environment ahead of our own, and initiatives like this might be the only way we can set aside and leave large parts of the country free for nature. There are very few places on our planet that remain wild and free, and while it might be hypocritical to say since I have had the great honour of exploring a small percentage of them, I do feel like there is a need, perhaps now more than ever, to put rules and regulations in place that will ensure they remain wild and intact in the future.”
Personal Connection & Vision
Through your lens, what story do you hope to tell about the Hudson Bay area and its iconic polar bears?
“Working in this environment I have seen it change and adapt, from 30+ degrees, forest fires, and thunderstorms, to a sea covered in ice at the end of July. I have seen some interesting extremes all of which are pointing to one thing; the world and its climate are becoming ever more unpredictable. While I hope my images of healthy bears don’t take away people’s interest to protect these animals, I do hope to share their story of resilience and help people build an emotional connection with them and their environment.”
If you could inspire one action or change in those who view your work, what would it be? How do you hope your photos will make a difference?
“I believe we as people need to stop looking at the environment as a commodity, bunching all the animals into one group as a species. Much like people, each individual animal has a personality and a trait that makes it beneficial to that environment it lives in, we look at them as bears, wolves, belugas; but any individual in that population can carry a gene or trait that makes it important for the overall survival of the species. I hope through my images people are able to personify these animals, build a connection with them, and understand that there is a much more gentle side to even the arctic apex predators.”
How to Learn More:
Learn more about protecting 30% by 2030
Check out our campaign to learn more about how to protect polar bears