Before dawn on the morning of Aug 25, a Canadian scientist captured this footage of a solitary male bear rolling around the ice just beside the Louis. We assumed that the lights and sounds from the ship peaked the bear's curiosity. During the entire expedition we saw a total of about 6 polar bears, including a mother and two cubs. We disturbed this older male bear during transit to a new sampling location. After returning to shore, we heard multiple reports describing the strange behavior of many Arctic animals this summer. Some people purport that the limited ice cover this summer has led to lower food availability for many animals living in the polar North. (Footage courtesy of Mary O'Brien, Department Fisheries & Oceans Canada; and Emory Kristof, National Geographic.)

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Arctic Exploration

Arctic Exploration: August 25 Log