Polar Bears: A tundra in San Diego
Note: Polar Bear Plunge is closed while we add fun new activities for our guests. It will reopen on Friday, March 26. Find out more!
Watch the bears daily on Polar Cam!
At first thought, a polar bear in sunny San Diego seems curiously out of place. But at the San Diego Zoo, you’ll discover that polar bears are right at home and every day is an Arctic summer day.
The focal point of the bears’ exhibit is, naturally, the pool. From the underwater viewing room you can see how agile and playful these Arctic bruins really are. In fact, they’re known to swim right up to the glass to check out all the humans on display.
Outdoor viewing follows the water level up to the beach area, where a herd of reindeer can be viewed in the background. A large moat separates the polar bears from the reindeer, but from the visitor’s viewpoint, the whole exhibit looks like one enclosure. A beach area and two large pits filled with natural substrate and mulch allow the bears to dig around or take a nap—just like they would in the wild.
The bears’ exhibit is 4.4 acres; the pool holds 130,000 gallons (494,000 liters) of water cooled to 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius). Snow is added to the polar bears’ exhibit for special occasions. The bears enjoy playing on the white stuff, slipping, sliding, and even eating it!
On the exhibit’s outskirts, children can climb on or pose with two life-sized stainless steel polar bear sculptures for added fun. The Zoo’s Polar Bear Exhibit is one of the largest in the world. It’s wet and it’s wild—polar bear style!
