Alaska 14: Here They Come Again

It was three younger cubs this time and they were smaller and less aggressive than the trio who challenged us in the high grass earlier. We were now sitting and standing around a long log that had settled high on the beach, taking in all there was to see.

In our immediate vicinity and to our left were these three cubs who came to within a few feet before heading back to mom, pictured below. They were curious about the strange intruders on their beach I guess.

And, we were more relaxed as we sat and surveyed the lake and stream in front of us. Seventy grizzlies within walking distance was our best collective count. Funny how just a couple of hours of familiarity with a totally new situation can calm nerves and lower blood pressure.

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But, should we be feeling so comfortable? The scene to our left is pictured above, with the foursome exiting the water about 30 yards away. To our right, another group of four had just finished digging a ditch in the sand and settled in for a mid-morning nap.

As you can see, they are not feeling threatened by our presence at all. The young ones are curious but they fall to sleep shortly after I took this picture.

meanwhile, the party to our right headed into the grass when an adult male ventured too close. As they departed, one cub took advantage of some sturdy branches to scratch an itch.

Once satisfied, he stood and took one last look at us, raising a paw as if to say goodbye.

Further up the beach are more bears. Here a family of three rests after a morning swim. The cubs' attention is fixed, you guessed it, on a male grizzly who is meandering around near the grass on the beach. If he tries to approach, mom will get up and head off with the cubs.

Before we end, here's a peek at what we will see share in our next blog. As the low lying clouds thinned out and the sun rose a bit, the conditions made the water reflective from low camera angles for the bears further out.

As you can see below, it was an opportunity to capture some great images of the bears. Look for more water-grizzly shots in our next post.

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