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Polar Bears with No Ice

An adult female polar bear swimming in the Chukchi Sea, far from land and even farther from the nearest sea ice. The ice had melted and receded toward the central polar basin, hundreds of kilometers away.

An adult female polar bear swimming in the Chukchi Sea, far from land and even farther from the nearest sea ice. The ice had melted and receded toward the central polar basin, hundreds of kilometers away.

Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia

An adult male polar bear marooned ashore on Wrangel Island in the Russian High Arctic, due to lack of sea ice. An adult male polar bear wanders along the ice-free shoreline of Wrangel Island in the Russian High Arctic, stranded there due to lack of sea ice. An adult male polar bear walks at the base of a cliff along the narrow shore of Herald Island in the Russian High Arctic, stranded there due to lack of sea ice. An adult female polar bear and her cub, marooned on land due to lack of sea ice. Stranded ashore on Wrangel Island due to lack of sea ice, a thirsty adult male polar bear "drinks" by eating snow on a hot summer day. An adult male polar bear swims along the base of a shoreline cliff on Wrangel Island in the Russian High Arctic during the ice-free season. An adult male polar bear nibbles on vegetation while stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to lack of sea ice. A young adult male polar bear walks at the base of a cliff along the narrow shore of Herald Island in the Russian High Arctic, stranded there due to lack of sea ice. A hungry subadult male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) climbs precariously on the face of a cliff above the ocean in the Russian Arctic, attempting unsuccessfully to feed on seabird eggs. The bear was stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice. A subadult male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) climbs precariously on the face of a cliff above the ocean in the Russian Arctic, attempting unsuccessfully to feed on seabird eggs. The hungry bear was stranded on land due to a lack of sea ice. A hungry subadult male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) climbs precariously on the face of a cliff above the ocean in the Russian Arctic, attempting unsuccessfully to feed on seabird eggs. The bear was stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice. A hungry subadult male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) climbs precariously on the face of a cliff above the ocean in the Russian Arctic, attempting unsuccessfully to feed on seabird eggs. The bear was stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice. A hungry subadult male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) climbs precariously on the face of a cliff above the ocean in the Russian Arctic, attempting unsuccessfully to feed on seabird eggs. The bear was stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice. A hungry subadult male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) climbs precariously on the face of a cliff above the ocean in the Russian Arctic, attempting unsuccessfully to feed on seabird eggs. The bear was stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice. A large adult female polar bear gazes out at the sea while stranded ashore due to lack of sea ice. A large adult female polar bear snacks on seaweed while stranded ashore due to lack of sea ice. Stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice, a polar bear forages for something to eat in a garbage dump. Stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice, a polar bear forages for something to eat in a garbage dump. Stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice, a polar bear forages for something to eat in a garbage dump. Stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice, a polar bear forages for something to eat in a garbage dump. Stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice, a polar bear forages for something to eat in a garbage dump and encounters a man disposing of garbage. Stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice, a polar bear forages for something to eat in a garbage dump and encounters a man disposing of garbage. An adult male polar bear with his leg caught in a snare trap set by Manitoba Dept. of Conservation personnel. The trap was intended to catch polar bears, such as this one, that approach the town of Churchill during the ice-free season when they are stranded ashore. A tranquilized adult male polar bear is freed from a snare trap by Manitoba Department of Conservation personnel. The trap was intended to catch polar bears that approach the town of Churchill during the ice-free season when they are stranded on land. A tranquilized adult female polar bear, caught by Manitoba Dept. of Conservation personnel because she approached the town of Churchill during the ice-free season while stranded on land. A tranquilized adult female polar bear and her yearling cub are transported by helicopter away from the town of Churchill where they approached an inhabited area too closely while stranded on land during the ice-free season. A tranquilized adult female polar bear and her yearling cub are transported by helicopter away from the town of Churchill where they approached an inhabited area too closely while stranded on land during the ice-free season. An adult female polar bear climbs a rocky hillside in search of food while she is marooned ashore on Spitsbergen due to lack of sea ice. An adult female polar bear swimming in the Chukchi Sea, far from land and even farther from the nearest sea ice. The ice had melted and receded toward the central polar basin, hundreds of kilometers away. An adult female polar bear swimming in the Chukchi Sea, far from land and even farther from the nearest sea ice. The ice had melted and receded toward the central polar basin, hundreds of kilometers away. Stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to a lack of sea ice, an adult female polar bear stares out at the open water of Hudson Bay. A very skinny adult male polar bear, stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to lack of sea ice, wanders along the shoreline of Hudson Bay while waiting for sea ice to form. The bear had been on land, food-deprived, for several months. A very skinny adult male polar bear, stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to lack of sea ice, waits for sea ice to form at the edge of Hudson Bay. The bear had been on land, food-deprived, for several months during the ice-free season. An extremely skinny adult male polar bear, stranded on land and unable to hunt seals due to lack of sea ice, lies on the ground near the shore of Hudson Bay while waiting for sea ice to form. The bear had been food-deprived on land for several months, and appeared to be starving to death.