15 Polar Bear Facts

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The polar bear is an endlessly fascinating animal and one of the top reasons people travel to the high Arctic. They’re as majestic as they are terrifying, a creature that has not only inspired numerous nicknames but an Arctic status every bit as iconic as glaciers and snow.

But as fascinating as these beloved bears are, few people outside polar enthusiasts and Arctic biologists know much about them. In this vibrant and informative video, we’ll try to change that.

Here are fifteen polar bear facts that will get you well on your way to becoming a true-blue polar bear expert. Though these facts are by no means comprehensive, they do address some of the major facets and most frequent questions we get from our passengers about polar bears.

This video will ensure that whenever you take your first or next Arctic trip to Svalbard (where we most often see polar bears) or Greenland or wherever else these beautiful animals can be seen, you will have some info to go along with your amazement.

Highlighted in this video are the following polar bear facts:
1. The Latin name for the polar bear is Ursus maritimus
2. Polar bears are the largest species of bear on the planet
3. They can weigh from 300 kg (661 pounds) for females to more than 700 kg (1,543 pounds) for polar bear males
4. Polar bear fur is not white but pigment-free and transparent, getting its white appearance from the surrounding snow
5. Their fur and body fat are so insulating that they prevent nearly all heat loss, and in fact they can be so insulating that adult males are in danger of overheating when they run
6. A polar bear can run up to about 40 kph (25 mph)
7. Polar bears tend to be loners, roaming and swimming the vast distances of the Arctic on their own
8. It is not unusual to see polar bears 50 km (31 miles) or more from land or sea ice
9. The record swim for a polar bear is 700 km (427 miles), during which the bear spent almost 10 days in the water
10. Polar bears can smell seals and other animals up to several km (or miles) away
11. They mainly eat seal, but they occasionally also hunt small whales, walruses, reindeer, and may scavenge on bird eggs, cetaceans, or the carcasses of whales or other bears
12. A polar bear female gives birth to two cubs on average
13. Polar bear cubs weigh around 450-700 g (1.0 to 1.5 lbs) at birth
14. During a good feeding season, polar bears may spend about 20 hours a day just lying in the snow and resting
15. Polar bears can slow their metabolism, which enables them to survive off stored fat for several months