the village of kaktovik, alaska, population, 239. a stark and striking landscape but not quite the snow blanketed mountains you might expect in the arctic. a change that has reached into all corners of life here. it's not long before we see what we came for. we left the shore three minutes ago. and already, there are four polar bears, right there, swimming in the water. that's incredible. what are we? 50 feet from them? we're pretty darn close. one, two, three, four polar bears. a mother with her triplets. these bears, a drab shade of brown. wearing the signs of spending so much time on muddy land. >> wow! >> so they're playing with each other. >> our captain says these bears are here because they are waiting for the sea ice to return. the frozen surface of the arctic ocean where they spend most of the year feeding on seals. >> they know they have a long wait. >> until the freeze up, they scavenge on the remains of the whales the people must hunt to survive here. >> how long will the bears linger? >> they will hang out here until mid

. >> southwest barter island.illage of kaktovik alaska population 239. a stark a striking landscape but not quite thenow blaeted mountains you might expect in the a change that haseached into all corners of life here. it's not long before we see w we came for. we left the shore three minutes ago. andalready, polarwater. incredible. what are we? 50 feet fromthem? we're pretty darn close. one, two, four polar bears. a mother with hertriplets. thesebears, a drab shade of br the signspending so much time on muddy land. >> wow! >> so with each other. >> our captain says these here because they are waiting for the s ice to return.rozen surface of the arctic ocear feeding on seals. >> they know they have a long wait. >> until the freeze up they scavenge on theremainse whales the must hunt to survive here. how long will the bears li out here until mid-november. an when the forming out in the ocean, when that starts happening, the seals go on the ice. soolar bears get their se on the ice. if that ice is not there, they get nothing. >> the bears used to spend just

our destination, the isolated island village of kaktovik, alaska. the population just 239.. a stark and striking landscape. not quite the snow blanketed areas you might expect. a change that has reached all corners of life here as we are about to see. we head out and soon find what we came for. we left the shore three minutes ago, and already, there are four polar bears right there, swimming in the water. that's incredible. wow. i mean, what are we, 50 feet from them? we're pretty close. a mother with her triplets. these bears, a drab shade of brown, wearing the signs of spending so much time on muddy land. >> wow. >> reporter: polar bears' natural environment is out on the sea ice where seals are plentiful. but in summer, the ice melts, forcing the bears to forage for food on land. the bears used to spend just three weeks on land, but today they are stranded for nearly three months because the ice is staying melted longer. scientists say it's due to global warming. local resident robert remembers the old days. >> when i first came here, the pack ice was inside of the shore

our destination the isolated island villages of kaktovik alaska, the population just 239.iking landscape but not quite the snow blanketed mountains you might expect from the arctic. a change that is reaching into all corners of life here as we are we head out and soon find what we came for. we left the shore three minutes ago and already there are four polar bears right there swimming in the water. that's incredible. wow. i mean what are we 50 feet from them? we're pretty darned close. a mother with her triplets. ♪ so cute. these bears a drab shade of brown wearing the signs of spending so much time on muddied land. wow. polar bears' natural environment is out on the sea ice where seals are plentiful but in summer the ice melts forcing the bears to forage for food on land. the bears used to spend just three weeks on land. but today they are stranded for nearly three months because the ice is staying melted longer scientists say it's due to global warming. local resident robert remembers the old days. >> when i first came here the pack ice was inside of the shore all summer