A wildlife photographer’s shot of a lifetime… and they didn’t even use their camera.
Josh Addison is a nature photographer that often finds himself in the right place at the right time. That’s not by chance, of course. Those that spend the most time in the wild obviously know the best spots for seeing animals native to the area. And if you are looking for a brown bear, there’s no better place to be than a salmon-filled stream.
Though bears will eat just about anything, they might not have a snack that they favor more than salmon. Especially these coastal browns who have all you can eat buffets in Alaska. The large animals will often spend hours fishing, and are normally successful in their endeavors. Some bruins have been known to catch and eat over 30 salmon in one day.
A bear’s speed and razor-sharp talons make them perfect anglers. That was on full display in this video that was captured by Addison, and funny enough, it wasn’t even captured with the camera he went out with. The action got so close to him that the video was shot with what looks like his phone.
The brown bear had its sights set on a salmon, and was going to stop at nothing to make it a meal. Even with the photographers set up by the river, the apex predator kept its eyes on the prize. It eventually landed the sockeye salmon mere feet away from where Josh Addison was set up:
“The wild moment a brown bear catches a sockeye salmon right in front of me in Alaska! Just a few feet away, my telephoto lens was useless.”
@josh.r.addison Close range fishing bear action! Love Alaska so much #bears #alaska #fishing #sockeye ♬ original sound – Josh Addison
A truly impressive catch – both by the bear and the photographer (even though his lens became useless).
I can’t imagine seeing a brown bear actively hunting from that close up. Was the wildlife photographer probably a little too close for comfort? You bet. The National Park Service typically recommends a buffer zone of about 100 yards between people and bears, no matter how experienced you might be (I’d guess this guy spends a whole lot of time out in the wilderness).
But the truth is, these coastal browns are so well-fed, fat and happy on salmon, they are generally much more mild-mannered compared to grizzlies inland. They’re usually bigger too (getting big off all the fish they catch and release… into their mouths), which allows for photographers, tour guides and hikers to get much closer than you’d ever expect.
Like I mentioned earlier, the brown bear wasn’t interested in messing with any wildlife photographers that day. It was preoccupied with catching a fish, and making it look easy for the camera.
Give Josh a follow… he does amazing work:
@josh.r.addisonCheck out this playful brown bear cub in Alaska. It caught one sockeye salmon after another. Already an impressive hunter within a matter of months of being alive.
Alaskan Brown Bears
If there is one creature on the North American continent that commands absolute, undeniable respect, it is the Alaskan brown bear. When you step into the remote, untamed backcountry of America’s Last Frontier, you’re in the backyard of one of the most able-bodies and ferocious animals in the entire world, and yet, due to a rather large supply of food options, particularly salmon, these beats are well-fed and tend to be less aggressive than inland grizzlies.
These apex predators can weigh anywhere from 700 to an astonishing 1,500 pounds. When standing on their hind legs to get a better view or establish dominance, a full-grown male can easily tower at eight to ten feet tall. They are armed with thick, muscle-bound shoulders designed for digging, and non-retractable claws that can grow up to four inches long. And despite their massive, lumbering appearance, brown bears are far from slow and clumsy. They can sprint at speeds of 35 miles per hour… fast enough to run down a horse over a short distance. Speed and power is their strong suit, not endurance, but do you really need endurance to catch salmon? Not really…
Salmon Buffet
While they are technically the exact same species as the grizzly bears found in the lower 48 states, their coastal geography gives them a massive advantage: access to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. The secret to their staggering size is the annual Alaskan salmon run. Unlike inland grizzlies who spend all day, and good amount of energy, foraging for berries, roots, and small mammals, coastal brown bears spend their summers gorging on calorie-dense salmon swimming upstream to spawn. They frequently just park it right in a stream and let the fish come to them.
During the peak of the season, a single dominant bear can consume over 90 pounds of fish in just one day. This frantic feeding frenzy is a survival mechanism called hyperphagia, crucial for building the thick layer of fat they need to survive the brutal Alaskan winters. When the deep snow finally comes, they retreat to their dens and hibernate for up to six months, burning through that hard-earned fat and losing up to a third of their body weight before emerging in the spring.
Despite their unsettling reputation, Alaskan brown bears are highly intelligent and would generally prefer to be left alone to fish in peace. Attacks are actually very rare, and the vast majority of dangerous encounters happen because a hiker startled a bear at close range, foolishly got between a fiercely protective sow and her cubs, or improperly stored their food at camp.
But overall, surviving in brown bear territory requires a blend of intense preparation and old-fashioned common sense… pretty heavy on the common sense. Carry bear spray, make plenty of noise on the trail, and never treat wild animals like you’re in a petting zoo. While there are always risks to traveling to any remote place in the world, Alaska is the kind of untamed landscape that everyone should witness at least once in their life. If nothing else, to humble yourself. Gaze upon the vast beauty of God’s creation and allow yourself to feel small.
