Contrary to the alarmists constant whining about polar bears inability to swim (even though they are classified as marine mammals) it seems they really can swim a HELL OF A LONG WAY! Over a period of a few years scientists were able to record 50 swims whose AVERAGE distance was 96 MILES!
"The researchers tracked 52 females from 2004 to 2009 (I was told that the necks of male bears are too thick to accommodate radio collars), then compared the recorded tracks of the bears with maps of sea ice through the same period. The biologists documented 50 swims with an average length of 96 miles. The paper, Long-distance swimming by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea during years of extensive open water, is published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology."
Polar Bears' Long-Distance Swimming Skills on Display - NYTimes.com
"The researchers tracked 52 females from 2004 to 2009 (I was told that the necks of male bears are too thick to accommodate radio collars), then compared the recorded tracks of the bears with maps of sea ice through the same period. The biologists documented 50 swims with an average length of 96 miles. The paper, Long-distance swimming by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea during years of extensive open water, is published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology."
Polar Bears' Long-Distance Swimming Skills on Display - NYTimes.com