Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)

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The Bears of Katmai by Matthias Breiter.

Near its mouth, where the Brooks River loses itself in the immensity of Naknek Lake, I noticed a bear in the middle of the stream. Only the head is visible. From a distance, the animal could be mistaken for a walrus gone astray from its ocean home. The bear rises up in the water, takes a deep breath, puts his head on his chest, and submerges in one smooth motion. The huge, well-padded backside is visible for a fleeting moment, then the entire animal is gone. There is absolutely no question about its identity: the bear in the water is Diver. Like no other bruin, he has perfected the technique of underwater fishing as if the watery habitat were his by nature. According to the laws of physics, he should float on the surface like a cork. Excursions into the realm of fish should be close to impossible. Apparently, a good technique does wonders. Ten seconds later, Diver reappears in my field of vision, snorting loudly. Again he breaths in deeply, subjecting the river bottom to another thorough inspection. Diver submerges three times, reappearing each time with no digestible prey in his mouth. However, on the forth try, Diver breaks the surface with a salmon locked between his teeth. Many times he might gulp down his catch right there and then, riding the deep waters like a living buoy kept afloat by the layers of fat on his paunch and hips. This time, however, he swims to shore and drags himself halfway out of the water. There, just a few yards from me, he sinks down on his front legs and starts to eat the fish.

Diver is the Methuselah among the bears of Brooks River. Rumors have grown up about his age. The record among bruins for the most years lived is held by a captive female that departed her zoo life at the biblical age ( for bears ) of forty-five years. In terms of seasons seen, Diver cannot compete with her. He has probably watched thirty summers go by so far. His best days have long since passed. Until a few years ago, he was the seldom-challenged sovereign at Brooks Falls. Few bears dared to dispute his lofty position. Today, he avoids all confrontations, having slipped far in the hierarchy. Yet, despite his loss in authority and the associated inability to defend the best fishing spots against younger, more dominant boars, Diver has been able to keep his weight. He is as voluminous as ever, presumably thanks to his exceptional fishing technique. It appears that, by means of diving for his quarry, he has secured for himself a food source not used by any other large boar, which in turn may be the reason for his longevity. Reply