I think any photographer that heads into the Great Bear Rainforest goes there with one thing in mind, to capture the unique subspecies of black bear that calls it home. The black bears that reside in this area carry a recessive gene that when paired with another recessive gene results in a black bear being born that is actually white in color (and not albino).

These white bears are referred to as Spirit Bears, White Bears, or Kermode Bears (terms seem to be used interchangeably).    I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see two Spirit bears during my trip in 2014, although this one didn’t stick around long before wandering further downstream in search of the calorie packed salmon.  She (along with the other Spirit Bear we saw) had two cubs of the year, both of which were black.

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Taken: October 2, 2014

Location: Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia

Camera: Canon EOS-1D X

Lens: Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM

Focal Length: 400mm

Aperture: f/5.6

ISO: 4000

Exposure: 1/320