How do polar bears hunt seals near breathing holes in sea ice?

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Jasper National Park: grizzly bear — bear Grizzly bear in Jasper National Park, western Alberta, Canada.

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are highly specialized predators that utilize an ambush strategy to hunt pinnipeds, such as the ringed seal, near breathing holes in the Arctic sea ice.

Because seals are aquatic mammals that must surface to breathe, they create and maintain holes in the ice. Polar bears exploit this necessity by waiting patiently near these openings to ambush the seals when they surface for air. This hunting method is particularly effective in areas where the ice is subject to periodic fracturing by wind and sea currents, as these conditions provide seals with essential access to both air and water.1

Beyond this ambush technique, polar bears are also known to stalk seals resting directly on the ice and to dig young seals out of their snow birth shelters. These predatory behaviors are critical for their survival, as they rely heavily on the fat-rich diet provided by seals to sustain themselves in their harsh environment.1