Bears Battle for Salmon as Fish Swim Straight Towards Their Mouths

BEARS BATTLE FOR SALMON AS FISH SWIM STRAIGHT TOWARDS THEIR MOUTHS

WITH PIX AND VID

By Shuk Yee Tsang

A wildlife photographer captured incredible moments as brown bears battled to catch salmon at a famous Alaskan waterfall.

Nick Dale, 57, from London, UK travelled to Brooks Falls, Alaska, hoping to photograph the bears as they waited for millions of salmon to swim upstream to their spawning grounds.

He captured fish appearing to swim straight towards the bears' open mouths, as well as dramatic footage of the animals fishing and play-fighting around the waterfall.

Nick said: “Every year, salmon swim upstream to their spawning grounds on the Brooks River.

“The local brown bears know all about it, so they go to the first waterfall on the way from the ocean to try and catch the fish.

“They have different strategies. Some stand on the waterfall and try to catch the fish in mid-air as they jump up, some walk around below the falls with their heads underwater ('snorkelling') and the alpha male just demands the fish from any other bear that's caught one!

“I was lucky enough to get a couple of good shots, but there were lots of difficulties: the bears and/or the fish weren't always there, the bears only opened their mouths at the last minute, and my reflexes weren't always good enough!”

“In total, each bear can eat up to 90 lbs of salmon a day.

“The bears may have looked like they were fighting for the fish, but they were really competing for dominance and their place in the pecking order.

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