Playtime

Once the cubs got away from the barnacle covered rocks they started to chase each other and roar around, too cute! I'm thinking the barnacles would be uncomfortable on those tender little feet.

Day 2 with the Grizzly Family

Day one the light was harsh so we went back, found them again and did a reshoot, I am so much happier with todays photos. Overall a fantasic experience.

Mom and Cub.

We arrived at 6 am; the female was in the tidal zone foraging, occasional sounds from the cubs escaped the forest, but we could not see them. A few hours passed, the Mother returned to the tidal zone; not a sound came from the forest. We were wondering if she had instructed the cubs to stay hidden; they must have been sleeping. We knew the second the crying started, they were awake and wanting their Mom. Mom ignored the cries and continued foraging, knowing the cubs would eventually join her. The largest, more adventurous cub came insight then worked his way over to Mom. He appeared to be stuck; I thought his feet were caught between rocks and wondered what the heck was wrong with Mom. Why didn't she show any concern? He wasn't stuck at all. He was trying to turn a big rock, one of the cutest things I have witnessed. It melted our hearts.

Keeping an eye on us.

Although her cubs were not out with her she was giving us the odd glance like she was deciding what we were then she would go back to eating crabs, rock eels or whatever edibles were under the rocks.

Grizzly Bear

She was rock turning at 6 am searching for crab, rock eels pretty much anything edible. If the mood strikes her barnacles and mussels can be part of breakfast menu. She has two tiny cubs which were tucked away in a safe place they joined her a bit later. Lots of fur-baby photos to post soon. I have been away for the better part of two months searching for wildlife on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Lucky for me the island is one health region as British Columbia is still under COVID travel restrictions till mid June.

Grizzly Bear, female.

She paused from rock turning to give us a big toothly smile or something like that. She is a beautiful Mom with two cubs

Running at us?

A heart stopping moment when we saw what was my first Grizzly on Vancouver Island. It came out of a ditch and started running in our direction I'm thinking at that moment would bear spray stop this big fella? Turns out there was a black bear cub it had in its sights, not interested in us ...whew. We yelled at it and it reluctantly departed, the bear cub stayed near us for the remainder of our time there it knew it was safer with us than without.

Grizzly

We knew the Grizzlies were coming across Johnstone Straight by swimming from small island to island. If that was the case if we just might be lucky enough to find one which we did from my friend Anthony's boat. We didn't get too close for obvious reasons a big crop on this shot.

Brown Bear

This is a second year cub we found foraging the tidal area with its Mother and sibling. I can remember hoping and praying the cub would look up.

Coastal Brown Bear Cubs

The cubs are 1 1/2 years old, seen with their Mother who was a little to the left of the frame. A very low tide offered unlimited meal opportunities for the bears this day, rock turning exposed eels and crabs.

The land of plenty.

A young female Coastal Brown Bear is surrounded by food, walls of muscles line the rocks, crab and rock eel are at her feet under rocks.