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Polar Bear

While they may look different at first glance, brown bears and polar bears are actually very close relatives — in fact, some brown bear populations are actually less related to each other than they are to polar bears!

 

Polar bears are the largest bear in the world. They are primarily solitary creatures that can be found on pack ice in the Arctic region surrounding the North Pole. In fact, their scientific name, Ursus maritimus, means maritime bear.  

These bears, while usually appearing white, can look yellowish and even brown or gray depending on the season and light conditions. But polar bears don’t actually have white fur! They have black skin and clear fur, gaining their white appearance because of light refraction.  

Unlike some other omnivorous bears which eat berries and other vegetation as well as meat, polar bears eat almost exclusively meat. Their primary prey includes a variety of seals — including ringed seals, bearded seals, harp seals, and hooded seals — as well as walruses, seabirds, small mammals, and fish. The polar bear is a “picky eater” though as they often abandon their meal after eating the blubber!  

 

 

The only known predators of these bears are humans and other polar bears, and human-made threats have led to their populations being threatened.  

Commercial and sport hunting of polar bears grew in the 1900’s, depleting their populations. However, in 1972 the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibited all hunting with the exception being for subsistence.  

Today, global warming is the primary threat to this species. Warming ocean temperatures and melting sea ice mean less habitat and access to prey for polar bears.  

 

 

Oceana campaigns to tackle the climate crisis by stopping the expansion of new offshore oil and gas drilling. Science tells us that stopping the expansion of offshore drilling has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than any other ocean-based solution. Learn more about our work here.

 

 

 

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