As temperatures here in the UK soar into the 30's this week, the thought of a refreshing dip amongst the icebergs becomes increasingly appealing! I'm not quite ready to attempt another polar plunge just yet (still thawing out my toes from December's icy swim) but I did start wondering how on earth does a polar bear keep cool as our northern hemisphere summers get warmer?
With a four inch layer of blubber and a cosy fur coat, it's sometimes harder for a bear to stay cool than warm. The answer is to conserve energy as much as possible - running after prey can cause serious overheating, so instead the bears wait by air-holes in the ice to allow the seals to come to them rather than the other way around.
Lying down to spread their surface area over the ice also helps, and of course a quick swim in the icy waters is always a good way to cool down... not for the faint-hearted though!
If you fancy escaping the heatwave for an icy adventure of your own then why not join us on a voyage Around Spitsbergen - you can view the polar bears in action and keep your cool at the same time.
Nice bear :)
Posted by: Trader | July 06, 2009 at 01:24 PM