The Arctic predators—which depend on constantly diminishing amounts of sea ice to catch marine mammals such as seals—are declining in number, and fast. There are fewer than 25,000 polar bears left in the wild, according to the nonprofit organization Polar Bears International. Near the southern Beaufort Sea (map), for instance, the population has dropped about […]
Tag: Alaska
Experts puzzled as 30 whales stranded in ‘unusual mortality event’ in Alaska
Thirty large whales have recently washed ashore on Alaskan coasts, prompting a federal agency to declare an “unusual mortality event” and mount an official investigation into the mystery of what could be killing so many marine mammals. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) are “very concerned” about how many whales are stranding […]
Extreme Arctic sea ice melt forces thousands of walruses ashore in Alaska
The extreme loss of Arctic sea ice due to climate change is forcing thousands of walruses to crowd ashore on a remote barrier island off Alaska, and threatening their survival. Barack Obama will be the first US president to visit the Alaskan Arctic on 31 August on a three-day tour to draw attention to the […]
Why would anyone want to shoot a sea otter?
Every time he hunts, Peter Williams sends a silent message to his prey before he squeezes the trigger: “Please give me your life. I’ll eat some of your meat, and I’ll make something beautiful out of your hide.” On a cold afternoon in mid-January, Williams, who is 33, was kneeling on the barnacle- and birdshit-encrusted […]
Video: Watch Humpback Whales Bubble Net Fishing
The humpback whales of Alaska have developed an ingenious method of fishing for herring, but it only works if they all co-operate. The humpback has the most diverse feeding repertoire of all baleen whales. Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net feeding; a group of whales swims in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles […]
Video: Polar Bear Cam Provides Unique View into Arctic Life
It looks like the famed Panda Cam at the National Zoo has a new rival. Recently-released footage of a polar bear in the Arctic is giving scientists and polar bear-enthusiasts alike a glimpse into the elusive lives of these endangered animals—and giving pandas at the National Zoo a run for their money. The clip, released […]
‘Tis the Season to Be Owlly
It’s that time of year. You better watch out! There is a dramatic movement from the Far North this winter coming from the land of reindeer and caribou. The whiteness of the character is its most striking feature. When it arrives, it often alights atop roofs and its uncharted movements have been known to disrupt […]
Leaders commit to conservation measures at Polar Bear Forum
Ministers and other national representatives made commitments today at the International Forum on Polar Bear Conservation that will help polar bears persist across their Arctic range. The commitments were made at a forum in Russia supported by WWF. “The Arctic States’ response goes some way toward guaranteeing a future for these magnificent animals,” says Jim […]