Surveillance

In the fall of 2019, we experienced something few ever do - the chance to photograph not just one, but four Spirit Bears deep within the Great Bear Rainforest of northern British Columbia.

We spent a week staying in the remote settlement of Marven Robinson, a local guardian of this wild and sacred place. Each day, he guided us by boat to salmon-filled streams, where these elusive bears emerge from the forest. Reaching them meant following bear trails through dense rainforest, climbing over fallen logs, navigating steep terrain, and crossing cold, rushing creeks.

It was along one of these streams that we met her - a large female we came to know as “Warrior,” recognized by the scar across her snout. She didn’t rush.

Instead, she positioned herself on carefully chosen rocks, quietly studying the water below. Patient and deliberate, she watched for movement, waiting for the right moment to strike. Her white coat gave her a natural advantage – unlike the black bears, as she casted little shadow and making it harder for salmon to detect her presence from that of clouds in the sky.

From her place of quiet surveillance, every movement was intentional - a reminder that in the wild, patience is often the greatest strength.

-Keltie Masters

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