Polar Bears Hunt By Reading The Wind — A Biologist Explains How

InnovationSciencePolar Bears Hunt By Reading The Wind — A Biologist Explains HowByScott Travers,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 08:30am EDTFrom tracking invisible scent plumes on the wind to navigating a rapidly warming Arctic, the polar bear reveals both the power and limits of evolution.gettyFor the better part of the year, the Arctic is nothing but ice, snow and silence stretching far beyond the horizon. There are no trees. No landmarks. Temperatures routinely go well below freezing. Yet beneath the sea ice, spread sporadically across the landscape, seals are resting in their hidden lairs and occasionally surfacing to breathe. And polar bears have no issue finding them.Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) can smell seals from dozens of kilometers away. While these distances are difficult to verify scientifically, there is little doubt that the species has one of the most remarkable olfactory systems in all the animal kingdom. More impressive than the sensitivity of their noses, however, is the way they use them.Research suggests that smell is so central to polar bear survival that it has shaped their behavior, communication systems and even the habitats they depend upon. Today, however, the rapidly changing Arctic is beginning to alter the very conditions under which this extraordinary sensory adaptation evolved.The Polar Bear’s Nose KnowsWhen most people imagine a predator searching for prey, they picture keen eyesight scanning the landscape. But for polar bears, smell plays the leading role in this process.In a 2017 study published in Scientific Reports, researchers provided the first quantitative evidence that polar bears adjust their movements according to wind direction while searching for food. The authors of the study analyzed satellite-tracking data from adult female polar bears in Hudson Bay, Canada, and compared the...