Grizzly Bear

[rchammer]

Currently I’m in Canada, British Columbia specifically, and have a few Grizzly Bear images taken on a trip to the Great Bear Rainforest, near to a small place called Bella Coola. Here is a sequence I caught whilst everyone else was at breakfast (it seems the Canon and Nikon shooters need more calories to cart their huge lenses around) and I was alone at the viewing area. I met this big guy, called Rocky, who is a young male Grizzly and has attained his full height but apparently when he matures the guides expect him to be the largest they’ve ever seen. Anyway he saw me, stood still for a moment and calmly turned and went up river.

Sorry about the basic post-processing but I only have my ipad until I get home and can process them properly.

[Joe_T]

Nice series. Rocky looks like he is already huge.

[blackfox]

Wow that’s a big boy

[MJ224]

Is that shot through glass? Otherwise, I bet you had your running shoes on...

Excellent photos

[rchammer]

Is that shot through glass? Otherwise, I bet you had your running shoes on...

Excellent photos

No, these were from a raised wooden platform but we did see grizzlies on walks with guides with nothing between us and the bear other than the knowledge of the guides backed up by bear spray if they charged. Also saw them from rafts in the river but didn’t feel unsafe there. The only time the guide was concerned was when a cub surprised us in the forest and ran out about 50 yards from us. The guide was concerned that she didn’t know where the mother was so we needed to backtrack to make sure we weren’t between them. Our guide has been working with bears for 25+ years and said only once has she been charged but although she had her bear spray ready she just talked to it and calmed it down and it stopped and the mother took it’s cub away. Whilst the bears are totally wild the guides know their personalities so know how to deal with them. They try to not get within 100 yards but in a forest you can get surprised even though she is looking for tracks and other signs of recent activity like rubbing posts and day beds. The guides are respectful of the bears but not generally concerned they can’t handle encounters but their worst fear would be encountering a cougar. Most of the guides have never seen a cougar in the forest though, but they are there.

[antpitta]

Wow - what a beast! Must have been a great experience (I know how excited we were when a "tiny" Black Bear crossed the road ahead of us in Ontario last month).

[rchammer]

Yes, it was a wonderful experience.

[DerekC]

Great set what an experience