Bear Cubs at Birth

It looks like one of nature’s follies that bears are born during the worst of winter. No other mammal living in the North gives birth at this time. And no other mammals except the marsupials have such immature offspring. Bears have the smallest young in relation to the mother’s body size of any higher mammal. Typically bear cubs weigh between one three-hundredth and one five-hundredth as much as their mother. On average a newborn black bear cub weighs little more than 10.5 ounces (300 g) and is 9 inches (23 cm) long. Brown bear and polar bear cubs are marginally larger, about 17.5 to 28 ounces (500-800 g) in weight and 12 inches (30 cm) in length. If a newborn human infant were that small in comparison, it would weigh between 3.6 and 6 ounces (100-170 g), the weight of a 14 to 16 week old fetus. Even in the most advanced neonatal intensive care unit, a baby born at such an early developmental stage could not be saved. For bears, on the other hand, the birth of premature cubs is normal – indeed, inevitable.

Taken from Matthias Breiter’s book on bears.

The Humpback Whale

humpback whale breachingForty tons of meat and blubber erupt out of the calm waters along Lynn Canal. The entire body of an adult humpback whale emerges from the sea, twists around its core and falls back into the ocean. Icy Strait and Lynn Canal are known for their high concentrations of humpback whales during the summer months. Why the animals breach is the source of much speculation. Some feel that it may help the animal to dislodge barnacles from their skin. It also could be dominance behavior, or it may simply be an expression of joy.

Point Adolphus along Ice Strait, opposite the entrance to Glacier Bay, is possibly the single best known place to observe humpback whales. The strong current swirling around the promontory concentrates small feed fish, and whales hang around this stretch of water all summer long, never moving far. At slack tide, when the current is at its weakest, the animals seem to indulge themselves with play such as tail-slapping and lob-tailing. The animals are known to repeat this performance over and over. At times the same behavior is used to warn other whales, as when the fluke hits the water, the loud resonant sound can be heard for miles.

As whale populations grow, the number of whale carcasses that are discovered along the beaches is increasing too. Some animals die in collisions with ships. There are cases when whales get entangled in nets. Most fatalities, however, are likely due to natural causes. For scavenging birds and land-dwelling carnivores, a beached whale is a food bonanza that can last for several months, as long as the tide doesn’t take back its gift. The rich resource will attract grizzlies from far away. Mostly, it is the large boars that feed on the carcass. Sows with cubs stay their distance for sake of safety, and only come in when the males have had their fill and retreated for a siesta.

This is an excerpt from Matthias Breiter’s award-winning book, Inside Passage.

 

Bears of Katmai Album 2

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Bears of Katmai Album 1

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Book Signing 2011

Book Signing Poster

A big thank you to everyone who made it out to the book signing in Juneau, Alaska! You were lots of fun to meet and produced a great turn-out. Matthias is currently doing another signing in Denali National Park until Wednesday (July 13th).

Book Signing Schedule for Summer 2011:

July 11- 13: Denali National Park
July 17th: Alaska Sealife Center
July 20-22: Mendenhall Visitor Center in Juneau, Alaska

 

Dates to be announced:

Sitka
Ketchikan
Vancouver

Brown Bears

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Summer 2011 Miscellaneous

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