These were taken from the USS HONOLULU (SSN 718, a 21 year old Los Angeles class attack submarine based in the Pacific) near the Arctic Circle, about 450 kilometers from the North Pole. As Spring approaches, the bears head for land. During the Winter, they stay on the ice, feeding on seals that surface for air. These three bears are probably a mother and two adolescent cubs. Normally, the polar bears travel and hunt alone. The bears were no doubt disappointed that this large critter breaking through the ice was not edible.