NEW RELEASES
It was pre dawn, I had spent the night camping out in my car waiting for sunrise over the Rockies only to find the sky void of any clouds. Discouraged I started to drive back east in hopes of finding some clouds that might light up for sunrise. As I was driving around a bend I noticed something move in the distance. I couldn’t believe what I saw when I got closer. It was the famed white grizzly! Locals have given her the name Nakoda, which translates to “friend” or “alley”. Knowing there was a trail parking lot further up the road I quickly drove ahead and waited to see if she would make her way towards me. It wasn’t long before a big truck spooked her, she quickly climbed with wildlife safety fence and darted into the bush.
On the other side of that fence a railway runs through the forest and that same railway passed right by me. I positioned myself along the road where the tracks crossed and waited. Sure enough there she was slowly making her way down the tracks and lucky for me she was headed in my direction. All I had to do was wait, she came right to me. Every so often I would snap some shots, but I chose to stay in the moment with her and not let the camera take over. She gave me so many beautiful moments, it felt like a dream.
We were all alone this morning, not a single person was around, no one there to pressure Nakoda or stress her. I simple stayed right by my vehicle and just watched her slowly pass by. Every so often she would stop and eat something from the tracks and then keep on moving. The morning light ever so gently kissed her cheek giving her this heavenly glow. The whole encounter lasted no more than ten minutes. Then I watched her walk off into the distance. It was things fairytales are made of. A perfect moment, a chance encounter with one of the most incredible creatures I have ever seen.
Unlike the more common spirit bear, which is a white-coloured black bear… a white grizzly bear is considered a 1 in 4 million, the fur is a natural colour variant of the species. Think of it like human hair colour but extremely rare. Parks Canada conservation expert said the last time any white grizzly bear was recorded was pre 1980. All this to say encounters like this with this bear are once in a lifetime.
You can view more images and prints of Nakoda through the collection button bellow.