HARVEY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

North American Bears: Canadian Grizzly Bears

These grizzly bears were photographed in British Columbia, Canada during the salmon run. It was interesting watching them as they fished and played and generally behaved as bears within a "bear society".

Grizzly Bear Slideshow 2007

Although I was a good distance away in a tree stand, this grizzly still intimidated me when he looked up at me with his fish.
   
These young male grizzlies practice fighting in the shallow water at Knight Inlet.
   
This grizzly sees a fish that she is interested in, so chases after it. It is amazing how quick these grizzlies are and how often they can catch the fish that they are chasing after.
     
  
This female had two yearling cubs with her. Although she was by no means one of the biggest grizzly bears, she was definitely the fiercest! She had to fish for her and her cubs, so she insisted on having the best fishing spot. Not even the large males would challenge her for her fishing spot.
   
This big male bear looks up at us briefly between eating his fish.
   
This grizzly bear watches a fish swimming upstream. There are so many fish during the salmon run that the bears get picky and only chase after the females. They are filled with eggs. The bears will often eat the eggs and maybe the brains and often throw the rest away.
     
  
This grizzly walked over to a tree and beat it up. I think she was showing off how tough she was to intimidate the other bears so they would leave her alone.
   
A grizzly bear chasing a fish during the salmon run.
   
These big male grizzly bears take a break from fighting and briefly out the photographer. Luckily I was in a tree stand out of their reach.
     
  
This collage was made as memory of the three days that we spent photographing the grizzly bears at Knight Inlet. The government allows each company to take tourists to see the bears for two hours each day during the salmon run. It was fun watching the grizzlies fishing, playing, fighting, eating and just generally being bears in a bear society. During those three days we saw up to 17 bears each day.