Kamchatka, Russia | Where the Salmon Rule, National Geographic Magazine: Brown Bear Underwater in Kamchatka

Bears love salmon, but they must compete with 137 species of fish, birds, and mammals that also depend on salmon as a main staple of their diet. These grizzly bears go to the river to gorge on rich protein of salmon for three months.  Though they much on greens and berries, the salmon are their main protein source and gives them enough fat to make it through the winter. 

Brown bears in Kamchatka can be 7 to 9 feet in length and weigh 700-800 pounds. Species: U. arctic Genus:Ursus

Kamchatka has the highest density of brown bears in the world, with almost 15,000 on the peninsula.

To make this photograph, which was selected as one of the best photographs in National Geographic, I had to be approximately six feet away from bears like this one that was charging into the water to try to catch a fish. The water in Duril Lake is murky, so I had to be close and shot this photograph with a 12mm lens.