Tundra Bears

Just so everyone knows,  the tundra bears name is not an official name of polar bears. It was simply available in Blogger! Polar bears, scientifically known as Ursus maritimus, are actually marine mammals. However, the interesting thing about them is that they live on the top of the ocean's surface - on the sea ice. Consequently, they are considered non-aquatic. I called them tundra bears because this is where the bears around the Hudson Bay spend their summers.

Unlike other bears, summer is the time when polar bears are going through something similar to hibernation. They are driven onto the land because of the melting sea ice in the Hudson Bay. During this time, they are not able to hunt their favorite food- ringed and bearded seals. Their metabolism slows, and they conserve energy. For much of this time, they do not eliminate any waste, nor do they eat. We saw some bears digging into the kelp and chewing on it, but this does not offer them any nutrition. They rely on seals that are 50% fat for their diet, so they need to get out on the ice.

Polar bears rely on sea ice for survival. That is why this is the best time to see them in Churchill. They are all waiting to go back out on the sea ice, particularly the ice that covers the seal-rich continental shelf. They lose about a kilogram while waiting for the ice to form each fall. That is why when we saw two males encounter each other, they only spent a little energy while sparring, then they would rest near each other. These fights were not serious. If these same bears were to encounter each other out on the ice in the winter, they would have much more serious brawls. At that point, competition for mates and food is much stronger.

Terminus of an Esker

The land here is actually rising because this was covered by a glacier during the last Ice Age. As the isostatic rebound continues, Hudson Bay is actually getting smaller. The esker is the sign of a river that ran beneath the glacier. Today, these glacial deposits are above the permafrost layer, so you can see plants that are not seen in other parts of the tundra. Actually, this I a great spot for animals like the arctic foxes to hide out. We all just jumped up to get a picture!!!!! We were thinking it was too bleak today, but we saw him run past!

Female on the water's Edge

During the summer, the bears have zones while waiting to get out on the sea ice. The big males wait closest to the water' sedge. The females are usually found further inland. When they are with their cubs, they can be up to 120 km inland during the summer. In between are the sub-adults, which can be thought of as the teenagers. Now is a point when they all converge to prepare to head out. 

There was a big male bear lounging not far from her. At first I thought he didn't notice her, but a she left, he raised his head to calmly watch her walk away. She was a little skittish, running a bit when she noticed someone come out with a big lens.

You can see that her features are a bit different from the male bears in the other pictures. Males tend to have a more squared face. The necks on the females tend to be a bit shorter. Females often have cleaner looking coats, as well. It can be hard to determine a femae's age because as soon as she is mature enough to mate, she stops growing. The final clue that told us this was a female bear was that there were yellow stains on the back of her legs. Females urinate backward while males urinate forward. It's hard to see some of those features in this picture, but maybe you will be able to recognize her pictures on my Google Plus photo stream.

Tundra Buggy One

We parked next to Tundra Buggy One today. This is the buggy that is equipped with internet connection. When we watch webcasts, this is the buggy they use. On the top you can see a big blue contraption. That is Google Earth's equipment. They have been here for about a week to set up the street view of Churchill and the surrounding area.

Heading out

Good morning everyone! The winds have died down and we are heading back out onto the tundra trails to find more bears. This evening we will hav a presentation from Polar Bears International, and it sounds like their premier bear researcher, Steve Ambrust, will be coming out to talk with us! Our guide, Derek, and I have a deal to take pictures of each other with him because we will feel like we are meeting a movie star!!

Typos

Please excuse the occasional quick posts that are unedited - Sometimes I am in a rush to head out on the tundra. Earlier we were running to presentations and out to eat. The wireless fades in and out here, so you will have to work with me on this!

I have included a picture of Andrea and me as we waited for our lunch the other day. Her steak averaged out my veggie burger, and we both loved our dessert from Gypsy's Bakery and Restaurant. Sarah F, I can find a dessert friend anywhere!

Me and the Bear

The picture says it all!