The Kermoe bear, also known as the "spirit bear" or "ghost bear", is a genetically unique subspecies of bear found in the central coast of Canada. Kermodeis are noted for their appearance in their gene pool of a recessive trait that there gives them a small percentage of their population white or cream-coloured coats. They are neither albino nor related to polar bears, but they are related to instead being a color phase of the American black bear. Because of their ghost-like appearance, "spirit bears" hold a prominent place in the Native American mythology of the area.