冰雪世界 14

It may look like fun

but this is serious training for the task ahead

There's no food on the slopes

and the family will need to head out across the frozen sea

before the mother's milk runs dry

Two weeks later they're ready

Out on the sea ice the female can hunt for seals

but it'll take all her mothering skills

to keep her cubs safe in this dangerous world of ice

The annual melt has begun

This is a challenging time for the bear family

One out of every two cubs do not survive their first year out on the ice

As the sun's influence increases

the sea ice seems to take on a life of its own

Glacial melt waters pour from the land mingling with the sea

and speeding up the thaw