21 Jun 26

*A Grizzly Bear on a lush meadow.*
*Shot at 560mm @ f/4, 1/1000s, ISO 1400*

Two years ago I had no luck photographing bears in the Great Bear Rainforest, which is unusual (link to post here). This time it was a very different experience …

If you want to see more images from The Great Bear Rainforest gallery click here.

*Grizzly mum and a cub in early morning light.*
*Shot at 140mm @ f/8, 1/500s, ISO 800*

The Great Bear Rainforest is a vast and astonishingly beautiful remote part of British Columbia, Canada. You can spend days there without coming across another person. The lack of cellular coverage is a bonus too. It is a place to lose yourself in pure natural wonder. This area, from the north of Vancouver Island to the Alaskan border, comprises 32,000 square kilometres, and is part of the largest temperate rainforest on the planet. This mountainous region’s proximity to the sea results in large amounts of rainfall when the moist air from the Pacific pushes up against the mountains. This unspoilt area provides a habitat for bears, wolves, cougars, many marine mammals and an abundance of birds, all based around the vital salmon which is the basis of this rich ecosystem.

*A truly beautiful landscape.*
*Shot at 130mm @ f/8, 1/1600s, ISO 640*

And there is no one better to lead an expedition into this region than Brad Hill – an exceptional wildlife photographer based in BC (www.naturalart.ca). Even though we failed to locate bears on my last trip, it was still a great expedition, with a truly unforgettable encounter with a pack of wolves (link here to the wolf blog post). This time Brad promised bears … and he did deliver 😉

*Mum and her two two-year-old cubs. Soon they will be leaving their mum to venture out on their own.*
*Shot at 400mm @ f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 2200*

This wilderness is best approach by boat. We employed ribs (zodiacs) to drift up inlets and coves using the tide to silently close in on the fertile river mouths. This is where bears come down from the forest to feed on fresh meadow grass and mussels. Photographing from an offshore position provides a low viewpoint and great angles to capture these beautiful apex predators. Being in a boat feels less threatening to the bears and they tended to ignore us whilst going about their business.

*A cubs looking for mussels at low tide.*
*Shot at 560mm @ f/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO 2800*

All the bears we encountered were Grizzlies (Ursus arctos horribilis) and we were lucky enough to spot a bear every day during the trip. The Grizzly range is from Alaska through Canada to north-western continental USA, with an estimated 15,000 in BC. They are massive and powerful animals with a long lifespan of typically 25 years. The male can weigh up to 500kg, with the female considerable smaller at 200kg. Grizzlies are omnivorous and feed on grass, berries, roots, fish, mussels, small mammals and carrion.

*Keeping an eye on the surroundings …*
*Shot at 400mm @ f/2.8, 1/800s, ISO 180*

One particularly memorable encounter was a female with two 2-year-old cubs. This will be the last summer the cubs get mum’s support and protection. After that it is ‘tough love’ as she leaves them one day quite abruptly to fend for themselves. The mating season is spring / early summer, however, the fertilized embryos do not implant into the uterus for further development until late autumn with birth during winter hibernation. This ensures that the cubs are born in relative safety in the den. They weigh a mere 500grams when new born.

*Mum and her two cubs.*
*Shot at 400mm @ f/5.6, 1/1000s, ISO 3200*

The Great Bear Rainforest never disappoints, with its endless wilderness and rich wildlife. This expedition was no exception, and the grizzly encounters were brilliant. It was a privilege to observe the behaviour and capture images of these impressive animals. I just possibly will be back again 😉

*Riverside intimacy … Notice the considerable size difference. The male can be twice as heavy as the female.*
*Shot at 784mm @ f/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO 3200*

Many more images from this expedition can be found in my gallery: The Great Bear Rainforest.

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