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Up Close With the Bears of Sakhalin in Russia's Far East

On a trip to Sakhalin, a Russian island north of Japan, two men headed out for an adventure. The men soon spotted a number of bears just a few meters away — and tried to slip past in the water unnoticed.

"We almost drowned, the river was deep," Livejournal user Dmitry wrote. "We got out, and the bears noticed us all at once."

Some left, some mused silently and others still were frozen in shock. "It's as if they were saying, 'What is this next to us?' or 'What should I do now?'" Dmitry recalled.

Taking their cue from the bears, who all remained calm, the two men continued on their way, snapping photos of their newfound companions as they went.

Here are some of their best shots:
"Since the fish are not in full numbers, the bears are thinner, vigorous and cheerful," Dmitry observed.
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Many of the bears were unfazed and continued to go about their business.
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"They were very beautiful and how they watched us was really cute," Dmitry said.
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Some of the bears demonstrated a playful side.
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"We saw a bear with two cubs. She chewed leaves and silently watched us," Dmitry says.
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A bear shakes off after a swim, or a hunt.
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The island is situated off Russia's coast in the North Pacific Ocean.
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Does fish come any fresher than this?
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"One of the bears observed everything, he did not panic, but did not touch us either," Dmitry recalled.
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A smaller bear gets set for a dive.
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Can you count all the bears?
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Read more about: Animals

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