A Canadian researcher observing Polar Bears in Norway's Svalbard Islands witnessed one of the animals hold its breath underwater for three minutes, setting a new record.
But the observation, detailed in a study published in the journal Polar Biology, was another example of how ice loss is hurting polar bears. It is especially tough on the animals in the summer because the warming climate is melting their habitats too swiftly to be recovered in the cold months, the National Post reported.
As the ice lessens, so does its primary prey: seals. Ian Stirling, the Canadian biologist who led the study, watched the polar bear achieve its feat while hunting some bearded seals.
"The bear was in bad condition, very skinny, and was of course very desperate for food," Rinie van Meurs, a co-author on the study, told the National Post. "[The bear had] no choice than to start his dive a long way... from where the seals were."
Polar bears have kidneys designed to allow them to filter waste out of their system after dives, but they are still only accustomed to taking fishing plunges that last less than a minute. As their habitat and prey decrease, polar bears have been forced to turn to the land, but a recent study suggested this will not work out for them.
