In the Field

Snoozin' in the Khutzeymateen. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 3, 2006.

After spending a little time with wild bears you realize that they like to sleep - a LOT! This sub-adult grizzly had been working its way along the shoreline of the Khutzeymateen Inlet when it seemed to decide that the rocks looked especially comfy and it just plopped itself down and went to sleep. We were floating just metres away in an inflatable Zodiac boat.

The biggest photographic challenge in this situation was hand-holding my rather large and heavy 200-400 zoom lens. I took many shots, but this one was the clearest of the lot.

Behind the Camera

Snoozin' in the Khutzeymateen. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 3, 2006.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) format; ISO 400.

Nikon D2X with Nikon 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 340 mm (510 mm equivalent with digital conversion factor) - hand held (VR turned to "On" and in "Normal" mode).

1/100s @ f4; -0.33 stop exposure compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting.

At the Computer

Snoozin' in the Khutzeymateen. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 3, 2006.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass sharpening and noise reduction, using Phase One's C1 Pro.

All further digital correction using Adobe's Photoshop CS2, including selective tone curve adjustment, selective saturation (and desaturation) enhancement, selective noise reduction (using PictureCode's Noise Ninja Photoshop plug-in) and selective sharpening for web output.

Conservation

Snoozin' in the Khutzeymateen. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 3, 2006.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Raincoast*.

Species Status in Canada**: Special Concern (May 2002).

While Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) are not technically listed as "Endangered" in Canada, they have been extirpated from most of their historical range. Grizzly Bears are far more sensitive to intrusion/disturbance in their habitat than are Black Bears and are being increasingly forced into marginal habitat by human encroachment. The Great Bear Rainforest along the central and northern coast of British Columbia is one of the last strongholds of the Grizzly Bear in Canada, and even this population is coming under increasing pressure.

On December 18, 2017 the government of British Columbia banned grizzly hunting across the entire province. This major conservation victory came after decades of tireless work by many dedicated conservationists and ecologists and, most importantly, it reflects the opinion of the vast majority of British Columbians. And, it means that AT LEAST while the current government remains in power grizzlies are finally "safe" in British Columbia.

Now that we've at least temporarily won the battle to save grizzlies in BC, it's time to re-focus our efforts toward protecting ALL of BC's carnivores, including Gray Wolves, Black Bears, Cougars, Wolverines, and more! Simply put, there are no ecological, economic, or ethical arguments supporting the trophy hunting of carnivores.

In a great first step towards ending the hunting of carnivores throughout BC the Raincoast Conservation Foundation has developed a program designed to protect ALL carnivores within the Great Bear Rainforest. Details about this program can be found on this page on Raincoast's website. Check it out and, better yet, make a donation to help Raincoast purchase the remaining commercial hunting tenures in the Great Bear!

*The Raincoast Conservation Society (and Foundation) is an effective and efficient organization that has been fighting for protection of this unique habitat. If you are looking for a meaningful way to contribute to the conservation of this amazing ecosystem, Raincoast will provide maximal "bang" for your conservation dollars.

**as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada