Polar Bear swimming to the Arctic

From NYTimes.com: As Arctic Sea Ice Melts, Experts Expect New Low

Federal observers flying for a whale survey on Aug. 16 spotted nine polar bears swimming in open ocean in the Chukchi. The bears were 15 to 65 miles off the Alaska shore. Some were swimming north, apparently trying to reach the polar ice edge, which on that day was 400 miles away.

Polar bears are powerful swimmers and have been recorded on swims of 100 miles, but the ordeal can leave them exhausted and susceptible to drowning.

This is pretty sad.  I’m afraid that this is something we’re going to see more and more of as the effects of global warming become more pronounced.