Okay, so they are polar bears, but I was reading this doom-and-gloom global warming article
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26426382
and was intrigued by this statement “…Polar bears are powerful swimmers and have been recorded on swims of 100 miles but the ordeal can leave them exhausted and susceptible to drowning.”
so I looked it up
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/polarbears/pbadaptations.html
- Polar bears are strong swimmers; they swim across bays or wide leads without hesitation. They can swim for several hours at a time over long distances. They’ve been tracked swimming continuously for 100 km (62 mi.) (Stirling, 1988).
- A polar bear’s front paws propel them through the water dog-paddle style. The hind feet and legs are held flat and are used as rudders.
- A thick layer of blubber (fat), up to 11 cm (4.3 in.) thick, keeps the polar bear warm while swimming in cold water (Stirling, 1988).
- Polar bears can obtain a swimming speed of 10 kph (6.2 mph) (Stirling, 1988).
- The hair of a polar bear easily shakes free of water and any ice that may form after swimming.
- A polar bear’s nostrils close when under water.
Total amazing for a creature that I would not consider hydrodynamic, nor would I say does it appear to have a natural superior propulsion system.
Black bears swim pretty well also.