https://www.facebook.com/109865267214262/

Vic Nature Girl Photography

Home
Canada
Victoria, BC
Vic Nature Girl Photography

Directions

Cathy Wood is a nature photographer from Victoria, BC.

11/04/2026

To prepare for hibernation, black bears turn their attention to female salmon in order to eat their eggs, known as roe. The roe, in particular, is a high-energy food source that is rich in fats and proteins. Bears are known to consume up to 20,000 calories per day in order to fatten up enough to survive the winter months. That's a lot of salmon!

Vancouver Island's bears, though, have it a bit easier than other bears. The island's mild climate allows bears to den and sleep for stretches, then awaken and become active based on conditions and food availability.

Taken September 29, 2026
Campbell River, BC

11/03/2026

Nature's bounty.

Black bear
Taken September 29, 2026
Campbell River, BC

11/03/2026

This black bear must have realized there was a free buffet up by the hatchery gate.

Taken September 29, 2026
Campbell River, BC

10/29/2026

Another catch by this black bear, as it gets ready for hibernation.

Taken September 29, 2026
Campbell River, BC

10/27/2026

It was super interesting watching this black bear fish in the river. It was constantly scanning and would often make partial attempts to catch a fish. Sometimes it would catch one, then toss it away. From what I was told, they only eat female salmon as they want the eggs. In this video, I was able to capture a successful catch. The lighting isn't great as it had started getting dark, but hopefully you still find it interesting to watch.

Taken September 29, 2026
Campbell River, BC

10/23/2026

Spending quite a bit of time in the fading evening light watching this black bear fish was another special moment I won't soon forget. And even though I've been photographing wildlife for a number of years now, I'm still gobsmacked at the images I sometimes capture. When I pulled this shot up on my computer screen and saw I had captured the blood splatter from the fish, I couldn't believe it. It's a good reminder that as a wildlife photographer, you have to keep getting out there and shooting, because you never know what nature is going to put in front of you.

Black Bear
Taken September 29, 2026
Campbell River, BC

10/21/2026

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing this is one of the reasons sea lions smell so bad. 💩😂

Taken October 19, 2026
Cowichan Bay, BC

10/20/2026

It was such a special treat to observe this mama bear and her three cubs as they fished and hung out by the river. It's moments like this that stay with you forever.

Taken September 28, 2026
Bute Inlet, BC (via Campbell River)

10/18/2026

Perhaps tired of catching its own food, this ~7 month old cub figured it would see if mom was willing to share some of hers. Or perhaps because it's still learning, it just wanted to get a closer look.

Grizzly bear cubs typically stay with their mom for 2-3 years. Being their only teacher, their mothers show them how to pick edible foods like berries, identify bear trails in the woods, and climb trees. When the salmon spawn in the fall, it's the ideal time for mama bears to teach their cubs how to fish. What a treat it was to observe this mom with her cubs.

Taken September 28, 2026
On a tour from Campbell River

10/15/2026

A mama grizzly hanging out along the river, fattening up on spawning salmon before winter hits.

Grizzly bears are apex predators. Females typically weigh between 290-400 pounds and live for ~26 years. The hump on their backs is a large muscle that powers their front legs. Despite their size, grizzlies can run as fast as 30 mph ... hence why they say you should never try to outrun one!

Taken September 28, 2026
Bute Inlet, BC (via Campbell River)

Address

Victoria, BC

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Vic Nature Girl Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.