Western Hudson Bay polar bears are staying put & saving their energy. It's cooking there today at 27 C (81 F). At these temperatures, the Bay will still be warming. Field crew out now monitoring the bears report them in good condition with good subadult recruitment. Bodes well for this year.
Western Hudson Bay polar bears are doing what they usually do during the ice-free period: nothing. Energy conservation is the priority. For moms with cubs, avoiding other bears is also important (infanticide risk). Now the bears wait for cold & sea ice to return.
Latest from @ualberta.bsky.social polar bear research & Environment & Climate Change Canada. "percent of solitary females that were pregnant declined significantly over time and between time periods from 85% in 1982–90 to 73% in 1991–2021." Open access: academic.oup.com/conphys/arti...
Great to see & on my reading list. The anti-science nonsense about polar bears by climate change deniers was intense. Fortunately, the "counterpoint" media looked for on climate change effects on polar bears has evaporated as the key sources was toppled. We may, however, be moving into a new era.
We are featuring select articles available in IBA’s peer-reviewed journal, URSUS. McGeachy et al. “Possible sexually selected infanticide by polar bears in western Hudson Bay”.
Western Hudson Bay polar bears are well spread out from Ontario to Nunavut (including 1 well to the NE). More bears went south than "normal" but it was also reflected in spring captures with many bears having no prior history. Now they wait for freeze-up (29 C, 84 F) forecast so it's hot!
Dr. Andrew Derocher (URSUS Editor & IBA member) has spent decades studying polar bears in Western Hudson Bay. This study tracks polar bear movements, body condition, and sea ice ecology to support conservation planning. @aederocher.bsky.social #bearconservation#polarbears#arcticresearch
Welcome home (almost all). Western Hudson Bay polar bears are ashore. High variation in onshore dates this year: some early & some late. Increased variation in polar bear ecology with climate change is common. We have a new paper soon showing high variation in pregnancy rates.
It's very unusual to see polar bears still out on so little sea ice. This is a change in behaviour compared to the past when 30% ice cover meant heading for land. Perhaps the hunting is still good? Perhaps they need to fatten more? Maybe they found a few solid bits of ice?
Some Hudson Bay polar bears STILL out on the last bits of sea ice. It's an interesting change in behaviour to have the bears out on so little ice. There's a reason for it: seals. No chance of killing a seal on land but they can out on the ice. Must be naive seals that come near the last ice.
For those curious about Bear E4, it's an adult male caught near Cape Churchill in Manitoba this spring who was on northern Québec a few days ago but has now moved to Mansel Island, Nunavut. This fellow isn't scared of swimming.
With so little ice left in western Hudson Bay, a surprising number of polar bears still hanging on to the last bits. This behaviour contrasts to the past when 50% ice cover had the bears ashore within weeks. The bears know what they're doing (or trying to do) [in an evolutionary context].
One of the warmest spots in the #Arctic relative to average last month was across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (>5°C above the 1981-2010 mean). We will have to wait and see later this summer how the Northwest Passage fares.
Churchill is warm: for context, normal is max 17°C & min 7°C. Sea ice has disappeared in the west with the more typical pattern of southern remnant ice (current & wind driven). We'll update tracked polar bear locations soon but if any bears are still out in Hudson Bay, they're on tiny bits of ice.
Little did I know that such a Society existed. I confess to having a strong affinity to Ponderosa pines & western white pines for quite different reasons.
Strong currents in this area but a swim of >200 miles isn't a problem. Swimming 4 miles/hour for 24 hours gets a bear almost 100 miles/day - add in currents. The bear in the attached paper was doing almost 50 miles/day for 9 days (426 miles total distance). I agree - we need a closer look.
It's amazing to see so many polar bears still out on the last bits of ice in Hudson Bay. Bear E4 made it to land on the northern tip of Québec. Staying out on so little sea ice is a big shift in behaviour from the past decades.
Hudson Bay polar bears are hanging on to the last bits of sea ice in 2025. In the past <30% ice & bears were heading ashore. It appears the bears are now somewhat more flexible in their behaviour & staying out longer. Perhaps by necessity as they were lean this spring?
Precious little ice left in Hudson Bay but some polar bears we're tracking are staying offshore. Based on their poor condition this spring, some bears may need another seal or two to survive the on land period. Satellite images can't see the small bits the bears are using.
Most Hudson Bay polar bears are hanging on to the last of the ice. Several have crossed over to land. Sea ice is where the bears would prefer to be. One bear way offshore will have to make a move soon for which way to go for land.
Hudson Bay polar bears are coming ashore. It’s an early break up. When I started studying the bears here in 1984, some stayed out on the ice until August. They use 1 kg of stored energy per day so the ice-free period is a key factor in their success. The bears on the ice will be trying for seals.
Most Hudson Bay polar bears are edging closer to shore. Last of the sea ice is looking more like a slushy than habitat to hunt from. Mid-June is early but how the bears do with the onland fast period will depend on 1. how fat they are, 2. when autumn freeze-up happens.
It's an early break up in western Hudson Bay this year with the first polar bear onshore. Based on the condition of the bears I saw in April, this could be a challenging year. Satellite image shows very broken ice now. More bears ashore soon.
