<p>A <a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/polar-bear/">polar bear</a> swims underwater in the Saint-Félicien Wildlife Zoo in Saint-Félicien, <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/family-trips/quebec-city-canada/">Quebec</a>, in a picture distributed early last month. According to Environment Canada, <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/canada-guide/">Canada</a> is home to around 15,000 of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the world. The U.S., <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/russia-guide/">Russia</a>, Greenland, and <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/norway-guide/">Norway</a> are the other four countries or territories where polar bears can be found in the wild.</p><p>(See <em>National Geographic </em>magazine <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/polar-bears/schulz-photography">polar bear pictures</a>.)</p><p><strong>Why We Love It</strong></p><p>"The soft fur on the bear's paw and the air bubbles streaking from its nose create a velvety texture in this image. This is the type of picture that makes the viewer feel they are underwater too, eyes closed, going up for air."<em>—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor</em> <br> <br>"This picture shows a strangely serene moment in a fast-moving situation. Some might ascribe this to luck, but I imagine it was the result of carefully shooting the same scene for a long time."<em>—Chris Combs, news photo editor</em></p>