Due to the migration of dolphins being lured north by warming water, Polar bears are being observed eating on the white-beaked dolphins in the Norwegian Arctic.
Researched published in Polar Research journal this month by the Norwegian Polar Institute remarks this is the first time in history that this has been observed, “The warming of the Arctic is significantly changing the ecosystem and relations between species.”
Bloomberg.com reports:
Climate change is rendering increasing areas of the Arctic ice-free during summer months.
While the dolphins often visit Svalbard in warmer months, they haven’t been reported that far north in early spring.
The researchers observed seven more dolphin carcasses near the area in the following months.
One of the bears was so skinny his ribs were visible through the fur, they said. After the bear had eaten one dolphin, it covered up another with snow to save for later.
As the Arctic warms amid changing climate and ice sheets thin, dolphins could become a more regular meal.
For the bears, that’s good news as access to their more usual food supply, seals, may further decline because of the milder weather.
Sean Adl-Tabatabai