How do Polarbears get around ?

Polarbears are a marine mammal, and nowhere are they more at home than in the water.
When swimming they way they propel themselves in the water is by using their front paws in a dog paddle style. Their hind legs they actually use as a type of rudder to steer and stabilise themselves. When they swim underwater their nostrils closeand their small rounded ears lay flat against their head. Up to 11cm of blubber keeps them warm in teh icy water and their thick fur is oily and water repellant meaning they can shake free water & ice easily when exiting the water.

A PolarBear can swim for several hours at a time and some bears have been tracked continuously swimming for over 100km. Usually they swim under the water at depths of 3 to 4.5m. It is not known exactly how deep they can go but possibly no deeper than 6 metres.
They can stay underwater for as long as two minutes. [picture & .mov of swimming]

A polarbear walks with a steady lumbering gait at an average speed of 5.5kph. When charging prey or being chased they can get up to a speed of 40kph, so don't think you can try to run away from an angry polarbear that wants you for dinner.
When travelling by walking they can cover a distance of 30km a day for several days at a time, and their home range can be as much as 350,000 square km.

Like other bears, the Polarbear can stand upright and walk short distances on their hind legs.