Real polar bears fail to behave like computer-modeled polar bears: With little ice near Churchill this year, the bears are in "good shape" and it's "the year of the seal kill"

Polar Bear Alley

This year though it looks like a late freeze will have little effect on Churchills polar bears - and could even be beneficial to some if not the whole population. 2010 is the year of the seal kill in Churchill. Over these past years, polar bears are taking seals much more frequently in the tidal zone. The tidal zone, the area between high tide and low tide, is extensive near Churchill. The flat tundra slowly slants into Hudson Bay and results in tidal areas rangin from one or two kilometres up to eight or ten to the east. Sometimes seals get trapped in a tidal pool or even just fall asleep and wake up stranded on a rock. It is then a long long wait for the returning tide for the helpless seal. It seems that seveal bears have finally clued in.

Reports vary but one guide was saying that there have been eight reported kills in the last few days and a few more earlier in the season. Some kills have been witnessed with bears sharing the food, others with bears squabbling over the meat and even one where a young female bear found or killed a seal and had it all to herself simply because the wind was the right direction to preserve her privacy. With the bears already in good shape, this is nothing but good news for the Churchill bear population. A lot of people hope that this activity continues, so do the bears I assume...
...Some think that the seals are dead and washed in by the northwinds or maybe a small and unreported gas or oil spill. I tend to think its more of a sign of an exploding seal population, likely harbour seals. With Manitoba Hydro's development of the Churchill River weir and a record year for precipitation in Churchill, its been easy for seals to reach fish population up the creeks and in the river. Probably just more seals around, at least in the outflow area of the Churchill River, maybe everywhere.