Finished

 

Hudson Bay Hunter

15" X 22"

Original Oil 

 

Scanned image

 

    In some areas of the world polar bear populations are threatened by the warming climate. With ice forming later than usual their food source is not as accessible. However, along the Hudson Bay coast polar bears do have a fat-filled food source during the summer: beluga whales. Taking advantage of the 14-foot tidal change, bears climb the rock erratics left by the last ice age and wait for the tide to come in. In high tide, belugas enjoy coming close to shore to rub their bellies near the fresh water sources entering the bay. With more than 25,000 belugas in Hudson Bay during the warm season there is a ready supply for polar bears who have learned the jump-and-catch-a-whale technique, or know a “friend” who has.