Unless you have been to Brooks Falls you might think that all the bears stand on the top of the falls and let the fish jump into their mouths, as seen in Thomas Mangelson's famous photo. However, the bears at Brooks Falls have variable fishing strategies. "Snorkle" bears stick their face iunder the surface to watch the fish, then dive quickly when one comes within striking distance. "Pool" bears, as the gigantic male in this image, sit at the base of the falls waiting for the fish to bump into their legs which they then deftly capture with their paws. This subadult bear watches the mature "pool" bear to learn his fishing tactics. He also picks up scraps as they float down stream. EF 200-400mm + 1.4x @ 560mm; f/16 @ 1/250 sec,ISO 400; Auto exposure, TV mode; Centerweighted-average metering; Auto WB
