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sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - july/august 2012 - arctic - arctic ice: the other recession

Arctic Ice: The Other Recession

Florian Schulz photographs the wildlife at the top of the world

Photography by Florian Schulz, from To the Arctic | Text by M.P. Klier

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A ringed seal pup waits on the ice for its mother to emerge from a breathing hole to nurse. It takes a lot of work (i.e., clawing) to keep these breathing holes open, and seals will maintain several, since polar bears often stake out a hole, waiting for a pop-up seal meal. Schulz writes that this pup was bursting with energy after nursing: "It rolls around in the snow, stretches itself, and tries out its own claws."