Polar bears inhabit Arctic sea ice, water, islands, and continental coastlines. Polar bears hunt seals in the leads, using sea ice as a platform. It runs parallel to the polar basin coastline. Some polar bears spend part of the year on land. Polar bears in warmer climates may become stranded on land.
Most pregnant females spend the autumn and winter on land in maternity dens.
Polar bears travel throughout the year within individual home ranges. Home range size varies among individuals depending upon access to food, mates, and dens. Home ranges tend to be larger than for other mammal species because sea ice habitat changes from season to season and year to year. Small home ranges can be found near Canadian Arctic islands. Large home ranges can be found in the Bering or Chukchi Seas.