While polar bears are exceptional swimmers, even they are finding it difficult to stay afloat. Due to the incredible impact of global warming, polar bears are being forced to migrate from the melting Beaufort Sea in the search of more stable ice. On average, these bears swim nonstop for around 92 kilometers or 3.4 days. The longest swim recorded lasted 9 days without stopping, or 687 kilometers. She lost 22 per cent of her overall body weight, as well as her cub who perished along the way.
Canadian researchers speculate that the rising temperatures caused by climate change are the reason for the instability of the ice. The Beaufort Sea is especially effected over other regions, and therefore they are noticing the population of polar bears around this area decreasing rapidly in the last ten years. It has dropped over 50 per cent due to habitat loss, migration, and death. At the rate things are looking, the Beaufort Sea will be virtually uninhabited by polar bears in 2026. Polar bear survival may begin to suffer tremendously due to this sudden shift in habitat.
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