Polar Bears need chunks of ice to rest on when they take breaks from their long swimming sessions. According to the Los Angeles Times, thanks to GPS tracking technology we now know exactly how long these incredible beasts could swim just to reach that elusive piece of ice. The article cites a scientific publication which reported that a polar bear with a GPS tracker strapped around its neck swam for nine days and an astonishing 426 miles across the Arctic Ocean before it was able to find a solid surface to rest on. Its young cub that started the journey perished along the way. more »

MOSCOW, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Ambitious Arctic drilling plans by oil giant BP (BP.L) and Russia encroach upon key nature reserves, threatening native polar bear and whale populations, an environmental group said on Tuesday. more »

Shrinking ice sheets in the Arctic Ocean could be promoting breeding between different species, creating hybrid whales and bears, according to a paper published on Thursday in the journal Nature.

more »

According to tgdaily.com, the loss of Arctic sea ice could lead to species such as polar bears and some types of seal and whale being lost through hybridization. more »

On the trail of Victorian-era explorers, Daniel Scott receives an Inuit welcome in a frozen wilderness, says smh.com.au more »

According to telegraph.co, polar bear cubs are starving as a result of climate change, according to experts, because global warming is causing the sea ice to melt. more »

According to google.com, polar bears have been spotted carrying their cubs on their backs while they swim through icy waters, researchers said. more »

THE U.S. Interior Department’s announcement last week that it is designating 187,000 square miles of Alaska – 95 percent of it offshore sea ice – as “critical habitat” for polar bears is a sensible response to global warming. It should help save the animals from extinction, says toledoblade.com more »