One of the interesting things we witnessed when we were in Kodiak, Alaska was the differences in abilities between cubs. Here is a COY (cub of year) or cub born this year. The first year cubs did not enter the water while we observed them. They may have played along the river bank but never actually swam. That didn't happen until the cubs were second year. The behavior we witnessed was the COY watching mom and in many instances we witnessed mom bringing Salmon to the shore for the COY to practice their attack skills. All just another step in the circle of life.