Do Polar Bears Live in Antarctica? We Found Out First Hand!
You aren’t the only person asking, “Do polar bears live in Antarctica?”
Since traveling to our southernmost continent, we constantly get asked, “Did you see polar bears in Antarctica?” The answer is a simple NO!
Not because we were unlucky, but because polar bears don’t live in Antarctica! Nonetheless, you will find a variety of wildlife in Antarctica, including seals, whales, and penguins.
If you’re curious to learn more about what it’s like to visit Antarctica, including what kinds of animals you’ll find on the southernmost continent, then read on to hear about our worldschooling journey to the bottom of the earth.
Do Polar Bears Live in Antarctica or the Arctic (The North Pole)?
Now you know that polar bears don’t live in Antarctica. So, where do polar bears live?
Polar bears live in the Arctic, which is also referred to as the North Pole. This is a very different place than Antarctica, which is referred to as the South Pole.
❄️Let’s Recap: The Arctic is in the north. Antarctica is in the south. Polar bears live in the north!
Why Do Polar Bears Not Live in Antarctica?
Scientists aren’t exactly sure why polar bears didn’t end up in Antarctica. Experts believe polar bears found their home in the Arctic millions of years ago during an extreme freeze period or as the continents broke apart.
Some have suggested that polar bears could be transported to Antarctica and survive. This may be true, but it would have unintended consequences.
If polar bears were transported to Antarctica, this disruption would destroy the ecosystem there. For example, penguins would no longer be able to live relatively untouched on land in Antarctica, as they would become easy prey for polar bears.
What Kind of Bears Live in Antarctica?
This answer is simple. There are no bears in Antarctica! However, you will find lots of penguins, seals, and whales. If you are looking for bears, you’ll want to head north to the Arctic.
Why Do Polar Bears Only Live in the Arctic?
Polar bears need the frozen landscape of the Arctic and can be found across parts of Alaska, Norway, Canada, Russia, and Greenland. Their Latin name means sea bear, which describes how they live!
Polar bears play an important role in the Arctic’s ecosystem. As they are at the top of the food chain, these powerful animals are vital to keeping a balanced ecosystem.
Fun Facts About Polar Bears
When traveling or taking a tour, we often ask for the fun fact version of a place or about animals. Sometimes, we just want an interesting overview of the place without all the extra details. If that’s like you, then these fun facts are for you!
Here are some fun facts about polar bears:
- Polar bears are fantastic swimmers. They commonly swim about 30 miles but have been known to swim hundreds of miles at a time.
- Polar bears can hold their breath underwater for more than two minutes.
- Polar bears are not endangered, but they are on the vulnerable list, essentially a step up from being endangered.
- Polar bears are the largest land carnivores!
- Polar bears’ fur is actually transparent, not white!
- Polar bears have black skin, helping them keep warm by soaking up the sun.
- Polar bears live to be approximately 30 years old.
- Polar bears can survive the extreme cold in the Arctic, even at -58 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Polar bears have a fantastic sense of smell. They can smell their prey about 20 miles away (usually, a seal lounging on sea ice).
- Male polar bears weigh twice as much as females.
- Male polar bears can weigh over 1600 pounds!
- Polar bears are the only bears species to be classified as marine animals because they spend a considerable amount of time on the ice and in the water.
What is the Difference Between Antarctica and the Arctic?
Both Antarctica and the Arctic are cold, barren parts of the world, on opposite ends of the planet. While they have some similarities, they also have great differences. Here’s a look at the differences between Antarctica and the Arctic.
Antarctica
Antarctica, located in the Southern Hemisphere, is a whole continent surrounded by water. It is our planet’s driest continent. I honestly didn’t know that until I went to Antarctica.
The average precipitation is only 2-6 inches per year. What precipitation does fall here builds layers of ice and snow.
Due to this thick ice that has built up over millions of years, Antarctica is also the continent with the highest elevation and the world’s biggest ice sheet!
The average thickness of ice is 7500 feet. The maximum recorded thickness of ice is 15,000 feet thick! To put that into perspective, that thickness would equate to 50 football fields.
In addition to being the driest continent, the tallest continent, and the biggest ice sheet, it is also home to the coldest place on Earth! The lowest recorded temperature in Antarctica is -128 degrees Fahrenheit (-89 degrees Celcius).
Antarctica as a continent doubles in size every winter because the water around the ice freezes!
Antarctica is known for being the:
1. Driest Continent
2. Tallest Continent
3. Biggest Ice Sheet
4. Coldest place on Earth
The Arctic
The Arctic, on the other hand, is better described as ice surrounded by land. There is no land under the ice in the Arctic. (Whereas, Antarctica has land under some of the snow and ice.)
The Northern Hemisphere is where you will find the Arctic. It is home to indigenous tribes, whereas Antarctica has only been home to teams of scientists. (Antarctica has only really been touched by humans since 1821.)
The word Arctic comes from the Greek word Arktos, meaning bear. However, this is not from polar bears, but instead from the constellations that can be seen from the Arctic skies.
On the other hand, the word Antarctica comes from the Greek word, Antarktikos. It means opposite to the Arctic, essentially meaning opposite of bear. This again reminds us that polar bears do not live in Antarctica!
As you can see in the video below, Antarctica is truly spectacular. If you get a chance to see this southern continent, do it!
Why Don’t Penguins and Polar Bears Live in the Same Place?
Did you know that penguins only live in the southern hemisphere? There are no penguins in the Arctic.
If polar bears lived in Antarctica, they would most likely wipe out the penguin population.
As of now, penguins don’t really have land predators in Antarctica. Of course, once penguins enter the sea, that’s a different story. Then, they become susceptible to hungry seals and whales.
Fun Facts About Penguins
If you watched the video above, you’ve already learned these fun facts and others about Antarctica.
Fun Fact 1: Why do Penguins dress in dinner suits?
Penguins are black on their back so that when they are swimming, they blend into the dark water from anything flying overhead. They are white on their bellies so that they blend into the sky from anything (such as a whale or seal) that may be swimming below them.
In other words, their penguin suit helps them camouflage into their environment, giving them a better chance again predators!
Fun Fact 2: Penguins can swim about 15 miles per hour!
Penguins are fast swimmers and fun to watch as they jump and glide through crystal-clear waters.
Is Antarctica Worth Visiting?
Yes, Antarctica is absolutely worth visiting! But, let me explain…
We visited Antarctica by cruise ship and absolutely loved it! We had really high hopes for Antarctica before we boarded the ship. Then, onboard, we met multiple couples who were traveling the same route back to Antarctica for a second or third time. So, our expectations were through the roof.
If you’ve poked around our website, you’ll find that we’ve seen some spectacular places – gorgeous beaches in Greece, Jungle Jeep Tour in Colombia, and the most historical sites in Jordan, but, we have never seen anything quite like Antarctica before. Antarctica’s pristine, untouched beauty is something that will truly take your breath away.
Granted we had pretty great weather while we were there (a couple of days were actually warm while a couple of days were freezing cold). But, Antarctica didn’t disappoint. Seeing the least visited continent on earth is completely mind-blowing, beautiful, educational and something you will never forget.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Antarctica, go!
We traveled to Antarctica by cruise (Holland America’s Volendam Grand Voyage). Check out some of our footage below.
Conclusion: Do Polar Bears Live in Antarctica?
Next time someone asks you, do polar bears live in Antarctica, you will be able to help set the record straight. Polar bears do not live in Antarctica. If you are on the search to find where polar bears live, head north to the Arctic.
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