The Exit Ramp

Long before humans constructed highways and freeways the concept of an "exit ramp" was well-understood by our non-human brethren! Here a sub-adult male grizzly has just completed a rather invigorating swim across a channel in the Khutzeymateen estuary and, while still dripping wet, is about to climb the off-ramp into the surrounding forest. And, he doesn't even need the repetitively redundant signage that we adorn our roadways with to find his way onto the ramp! 

Subject: Sub-adult male grizzly (Ursus arctos) exiting a water crossing
Location: Khutzeymateen Inlet, northern BC coast, Canada
Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 Sport lens @ 195mm (for an EFL of 292mm). Hand-held from moving Zodiac. OS on and in "OS1" mode, with OS1 stabilization customized to Moderate View mode; AF customized to Fast Priority AF.
Exposure: 1/400s @ f5; ISO 3600; -0.67 stop compensation from "recommended" matrix-metered exposure setting.
Crop: Minor (for compositional purposes)

A lot more info about this shot - including a 2400 pixel version it - can be found on my website using the link immediately below.

http://www.naturalart.ca/galleries/latest/detail_2.html.

The discussion on my website goes into some detail about the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 Sport lens that some may find interesting

Comments and critiques welcomed - probably best to view the larger version (or, better yet, the new detail view) prior to doing so!

Cheers...

Brad

PS: Like all wildlife images on my website and that I post on NPN, the subject is fully wild and completely unconstrained. Besides the potential impact of my presence, nothing has been done to intentionally alter or affect the ongoing behavior of the subject and, of course, there has been no use of any form of bait or other form of wildlife attractants or lures (including vocalizations or other sounds).