Black Bear, Maybe Seeking Mate, Swims Between San Juan Islands

BLAKELY ISLAND, WA — One young male bear is having quite an adventure in the San Juan Islands — and he didn't even have to get on a ferry.

For weeks, residents from Lopez Island to Orcas Island have been snapping photos of the bear in backyards, and even swimming between islands in Puget Sound. Black bears do not live in the San Juans, but biologists say it's possible the bear — nicknamed "Waldo" — is trying to find a mate.

"This time of the year, male black bears are seeking females in estrus," said Ruth Milner, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist for the San Juan Islands district. "Given the amount of traveling, that's the assumption."

He won't find any love in the San Juans, however. He's believed to be the only bear right now living in the archipelago.

Waldo was last seen on Monday on Blakely Island, Milner said. He hasn't been seen since, so it's possible he swam back to the mainland (although according to Facebook chatter, the bear was spotted near Decatur Island on Thursday). Milner said the bear was spotted on Camano and Whidbey islands earlier this year before he made his way to the San Juans.

One of the most amazing things about the bear is all the swimming he's been doing. Milner said bears are good swimmers, and strong enough to cross the distance between the mainland and the islands. The bear isn't in any particular danger, unless he gets caught in a dangerous current — but that applies to any swimming mammal.

Wildlife officials are warning that the standard bear rules still apply. Bears don't like to be crowded, and it's best to keep things like bird feeders out of reach.

"This is unusual, but it's not crazy unexpected," Milner said. "The best thing people can do is to give this animal space and leave it alone so it can find its way back off the island."

Here's a map of Waldo's travels: