Polar bears spend much of their lives on the frozen sea. They hunt in the sea swimming from ice patch to ice patch in search of their next meal, which is generally seals. Since seals are a mainstay for the carnivores, they find them where ice meets water. These areas are primarily along the edges of the polar ice pack.
Annual sea ice is a necessity for polar bears. This ice is found covering the seas over the continental shelf and the arctic inter-island archipelagos. The only problem is, the sea ice is melting. No ice equals no place to land once you have been swimming for miles at a stretch. It is estimated that some bears are being forced to swim up to 200 miles to find a safe haven. It is a distance not manageable for most of these magnificent beasts who weigh anywhere from 500-1700 pounds. Exhausted, many of the bears drown. If they don't drown, they starve to death waiting for the strength to journey on.
The question remains if global warming is a natural occurrence, a man-made creation or a scientific exaggeration. When Arctic ice loss has been measured to equal the size of Alaska, Texas and Washington state combined, it shouts serious problem. Does the earth really want us to lose polar bears, or do we?
I urge you to watch the top video at http://www.savethepolarbear.org. It will either break or harden your heart. Either way, it is a video not to be missed or discussed.