1 September 2016 Let's Get One Thing Straight About Antarctica

Polar Bears DO NOT Live In Antarctica

If I was to tally up the questions that I am asked regarding my trip to Antarctica, the most frequently asked question is: Will you see polar bears? People are generally surprised to find out that the answer is NO. I can understand the mistake - cartoons and coloring books often show polar bears interacting with a number of different species and polar bears are usually shown walking, hunting or sleeping on ice. Antarctica has a lot of ice, so unless you know the specifics about polar bear population distribution, it woud be easy to assume that they are found in Antarctica.

Polar Bear Distribution

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) live only in the Northern Hemisphere in areas such as northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Norway. Since I am traveling to the Southern Hemisphere for my expedition, I will not see these amazing creatures. Stay tuned for future journals to find out about the wildlife in Antarctica, including penguins, seals, seabirds, whales and, of course, micro organisms!

Polar Bear Resources

If you are interested in learning more about polar bears as I spend my time traveling to South America, check out the following journals and resources from PolarTREC alumni:

Sandra Thornton spotted a polar bear from the deck of the USCGC Healy on July 11, 2016

Christina Galvan traveled to the Beaufort Sea in 2009 aboard the USCGC Polar Sea to collect data on polar bears

Peggy McNeal talks about polar bear prevention and other interesting polar bear facts in a journal from August 2, 2014.

You can also find out more about polar bears using this PolarTREC resource from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Travel Plans

If you read my journal about my travel plans, you know that the next two days are going to be a challenge in terms of Internet access and social media. When I get settled in Punta Arenas, Chile and catch up on some sleep, I will post a new journal about the long flights and our preparation plans for the four days in port. Talk to you all soon!