February 27, 2021: Polar Bear
Image courtesy of Jennifer Stern, UW, The Hidden Ocean 2016: Chukchi Borderlands. Download larger version (jpg, 1.4 MB).
It’s National Polar Bear Day! This polar bear was seen standing on its hind legs to get a better look at the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy during the Hidden Ocean 2016: Chukchi Borderlands expedition.
During the expedition, a marine mammal watch was maintained on the ship’s bridge for 18 hours a day to document the occurrence of marine mammals. The long transit from Seward, Alaska, to the Chukchi Borderland study region was a great place for marine mammal observations, allowing the team to document how the marine mammal community composition changed from the Gulf of Alaska, through the Bering Sea, and up into the high Arctic.
From: Finding your BEARing.