Kukak Bay was an amazing place to view Brown Bears: a wide river estuary with plenty of salmon and a back drop of snow covered mountains provided the perfect environment for many Brown Bears. Sitting quietly, the bears came close and were oblivious of us. Of course, our very experienced guide, Drew Hamilton, was with us at all times and controlled the encounter. Watching these sub adults preparing for adult life by play fighting was an amusing delight. How anyone could contemplate hunting these truly wondrous creatures is beyond me. This abhorrent practice should stop immediately.
The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) and the Grizzly Bear are the same species. The former term is often used to denote coastal animals whilst the latter is used to refer to inland bears.
These bears will eat a range of vegetation and once the salmon start to run they gorge themselves on this abundant food source in preparation for the winter months and hibernation.