Stranded polar bears on Barter Island

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The bears currently onshore represent 5 to 10 percent of the southern Beaufort population, estimated in 2006 by US Geological Survey to be 1500 bears.

As the Arctic sea ice minimum retreats over 700 miles from the shore, bears must either head north or swim south to land as the ice breaks up. The U.S Fish and Wildlife service working in the area have counted 49 bears within ten miles of Kaktovik, the largest concentration of bears out of the estimated 70 - 80 currently along the Beaufort Sea coastline. The bears represent 5-10 percent of the southern Beaufort population, estimated in 2006 by US Geological Survey to be 1500 bears.

Bears are incredibly adaptive but unlikely to survive as a species onshore. Polar bears are the biggest four legged carnivore on land, almost three times bigger than the brown bears that dominate Alaska's interior. Food onshore is very limited and there is simply nothing comparable to a seal that they can catch from the sea ice. Although some bears will adapt and survive, according to Eric Regehr from FWS, 'It is inconceivable that 1500 bears can survive and find enough nutrition on shore.'