Daniel Zatz continues to provide updates and amazing HD video of the polar bears near Hudson Bay. Since moving to Cape Churchill this past week, the southerly winds have warmed the air and the water temperature remains warmer than it should be at this point, so the ice formation has been delayed.
Below is Daniel’s update from November 22nd. Be sure to visit his website, WildlifeHD, and see the amazing videos he has posted from the past two weeks!
“We wake to a strong south wind that is blowing snow across the tundra. It’s also blowing ice away from shore. Bears that are already on the ice are being carried closer to seals. Those still on shore will need to wait for cold, calm weather or for the winds to blow on shore. Hudson Bay is so much warmer now than it was twenty years ago that much colder weather is required to freeze the surface. For polar bears, the delay is serious, and it is resulting in an average decline of over one percent per year for the Hudson Bay population (22% decline since 1987). Unless the climate cools, the polar bear population here is in trouble. Late in the day we see several mothers and cubs walking back from the ice. The open water has deterred them from heading out into the bay. Most have stopped nursing because their fat reserves are gone. Today’s loss of ice creates an additional stress, because now they must return to the Cape and work to avoid some very large and hungry bears.”
