Still, polar bears, by far, range over the largest territories of any bear. In good years, the bears may not have to travel far to find a seal meal. But in bad years the dark, cream-spotted animals are few and far between. Instead, in winter, the bears creep within striking distance of one of the breathing holes the seals have made in the ice. When a seal pops its head out of the hole to catch a breath, as it must do every ten minutes or so, the bear leaps and yanks the unsuspecting bather out of the water.
Ringed seals are a staple of the polar bear diet.
In early summer, when the seals like to bask in the warming sun, hunting bears must use a different strategy. They wait until the seals are asleep and then creep close, freezing in place when the snoozers periodically open an eye to check for danger. Eventually, if the seals don't spot the stalker, the bear gets close enough to make a powerful pounce. But when the hunting is good, bears can be finicky eaters. But they commonly will leave much of the less nutritious muscle behind.