Oregon’s Crater Lake ranked as one of the most photogenic lakes in the United States. But what makes a visual of the majestic lake even more stunning? When a bear shows up.
A video posted to the Crater Lake National Park Facebook page shows a black bear walking around Wizard Island, one of the two islands in the center of the lake. It was named by William Steel in the 1880s because its shape reminded him of a magician’s hat. The island is only accessible by boat or, in this case, swimming.
According to the National Park’s Facebook post:
Something quite rare happened this past week at Crater Lake National Park: A black bear lumbered down the caldera wall by Watchman peak and swam across to Wizard Island! The bear only spent a couple of hours on the island, then swam its way back to climb back up the caldera wall. It had been many decades since we had witnessed a bear swimming in Crater Lake, so it was a real treat for the few lucky folks who got to see it.
So, “why did the bear cross the channel?” We aren’t sure, but we are so glad they did!
The video was taken by National Park Service aquatic biologist, Scott Girdner.
Though black bear sightings are rare, they’re the only bear species found at Crater Lake and are generally afraid of humans. But they will protect themselves or their cubs if threatened, according to the National Park Service website.