BEHIND THE SCENE

Polar bears are incredibly good swimmers. Their average speed is 10kph (6 mph). The longest swim ever recorded was that of a subadult female that swam 249 miles (400 km) over a period of nine days.

Bears try to avoid long-distance swims when they can, though, because of the amount of energy expended while swimming. Unfortunately, due to the warming climate and the consequent loss of see ice, long swims are becoming more frequent.

While adult bears are protected from the cold water by a thick layer of fat (up to 11 cms, 4.3 inches, in most cases), younger, skinnier bears and older bears are often at risk of hypothermia, which leads to drowning.