The Bear Fight!
Not only some sights you never forget but some sounds too!
While up photographing Alaskan Brown Bears in Alaska one year, we got up early to head out to the mudflats as the tide had gone out and our guide said it was a great time to see the bears digging for clams. It certainly made for an interesting moody photo as I quickly grabbed a shot of our group heading out. You could even see bears in the far distance.
Upon finding a mom with her 2 cubs, we settled in for some great captures. Little did we know what we were in store for ... soon another momma and her 2 cubs started approaching us. Our guide told us to get ready for some action shots as one would likely put the run on another, as it happened all the time. But not this time. This time it broke out into a full blown fight right in front of us!!!
Instantly both moms turned and roared to their cubs, who both took off in opposite directions. Our guide immediately told us we were safe if we didn't move as we didn't want to become a distraction. They were mad at each other not us.
When they approached one another, their roars were deafening like nothing else we've ever heard!
They were trying to intimidate one another as they reared up and roared into one another's mouths. And when that didn't work, they went for blood!
The ground shook with every forceful blow, as they threw their mighty weight into a fight that was so intense!
I swore it seemed to last forever as they just kept going at one another...
You can almost feel the intensity from the images that were captured.
And the fight continued ...
As did the intensity ...
Eventually they headed towards the shoreline but the fight broke out again as they tried taking each other down ...
They continued pursuing one another along the coast until eventually they were out of sight.
Afterwards one of the other photographers asked me how long I figured the fight lasted in front of us. My guess was at least 5 minutes. Turns out from his first shot to his last it was 90 seconds - that was certainly the longest 90 seconds of my life! It wasn't until afterwards we realized how potentially dangerous of a situation we were in. Thank god for a great guide who knew what to do and kept us all calm and safe.
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