Month: April 2016

THE “EYES” HAVE IT!

Bears, Tofino Bears, Tofino Wildlife

20120903-20120902-IMG_2425

20120912-20120911-IMG_4450

I’ve found Black Bears to be very timid souls. They are simple creatures.They wake up with two questions on their mind………”Can I eat It,or can it eat me”?

When they first come out from their Winter den,they are a skittish lot. Btw,Bears do  not hibernate,they go into a deep sleep called “Torpor”. The main difference is that they can wake up & their body temperature is higher.A animal in hibernation cannot wake up & their body temperature stays low.

They eat grass at first to help flush their system & than move to the beaches for the small crabs.They over turn the rocks during low tide to get the small crabs hiding under the rocks.They will eat hundreds (like Lays potatoe chips) during the course of the day.

It takes me many visits  for them to trust me enough to get close.By approaching from the water they are more trustful.Through out the thousands of years that Bears have been evolving, they have never been attacked by anything from the water.So they have no fear of anything from the water. However,If I step out of the boat onto shore & try to approach them on land,they may run off. If they know me well,they will hang around.I have a small boat,so my visual footprint is small . I’ve also learned not to move when they are looking at me.It makes them feel uncomfortable.

I have observed Bears for many years now &  have learned how to approach them.Their body language is very important.The first sign I look for is the ears.When they see me,their ears will flick back & down momentarily.If they stay down It means they are fearful of me & may run off,but If they flick back up It means they see me & have accepted me into their flight zone. Visiting the same bears again & again makes me more familiar to them.

If a Bear doesn’t trust me,It will basically run off into the forest.Each Bear has a unique  personality & as such some are more approachable than others. There are some Bears who are just very fearful & I will never be able to get close to them.Others treat me as If I was a ghost & pay no attention to me at all! These are the ones I take close up shots of.They all  have beautiful brown chestnut coloured eyes! I like to photograph them just before sunset.With them looking towards the west,their face gets this “halo” around it! Their face seems to light up!

I always am excited to be close to such a beautiful creatures!

 

ME & FRIENDS…….”WAKANA” & “RAINNY”

Orcas, Tofino Wildlife

20160411-DSC_4008

20160411-DSC_4048

While I was taking shots of the Orca’s………..a friend was taking shots of me! Both these shots were taken by Arthur Ahier yesterday (April 10th,2016)

In the top shot you can see “Rainny” in the background & his mother Wakana” in the foreground. He came close to me in the bottom shot. Always thrilling to be so close to such magnificent creatures!

(that is Creative Salmons’ fish farm (Eagle Bay) in the background)

SURFACING (“RAINNY”…..T011A)

Orcas, Tofino Wildlife

 

20160410-2Z6A8816

20160410-2Z6A8827

20160410-2Z6A8761

This is T 011A…….aka “Rainny”.He’s the son of T011 (Wakana).He was born in 78,while his Wakana was born in 63. Like a good son,Rainny always stays close to his mother.They travel together all the time. They were both up Tofino Inlet today looking for dinner.I saw a Harbour Seal on the surface & wondered how long he’d be for this world If he kept hanging about? They gave me the slip after 2 hours of shadowing. I hate when they do that!