Category Archive

A brown bear watches for incoming salmon, Katmai Coast, Katmai National Park, Alaska.

A brown bear chasing down a salmon last week in Katmai.

A brown bear at sunrise, Halo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska.

The morning of August 14, 2024 is one I won’t forget anytime soon. My Katmai Bear Photo Tour group left the boat in the dark at 6:00 a.m. so that we could be on shore for sunrise. We had a beautiful sunrise with bears silhouetted against the yellow sky. Then a sow nursing a cub while an eagle watched, with a glacier background. Some of these images I have shared on social media. Then we photographed a sow with two first summer cubs before settling in on a sow with 3 spring cubs.

We photographed the 3 for maybe an hour as they feed on sedges, and then with little warning, they began to pose like this, facing us, without any distracting branches – that never happens. Such an incredible few minutes of photography! Finally, the three nursed. We stood there in awe and amazement, before deciding to take a group photo as a memory for this amazing morning! It was now about 10:30 a.m., and the first day visitors began to arrive by plane, so we decided to head back to the boat for a late breakfast, and then move on to Geographic Bay for more amazing bear viewing. It is pretty special to have such a spectacular location all tour ourselves – it seems like that never happens anymore. I morning i won’t forget!

We had particularly good success photographing brown bears chasing salmon this August along the Katmai National Park Coast. I’ll keep sharing different versions of this action from time to time this fall.

A brown bear with a freshly caught salmon, Katmai National Park, Alaska.

A big brown bear chasing a salmon can sure throw around a lot of water!

Here is a detail report on last summer’s Katmai Bear Photo Tour for anyone that likes the read all the details and find out what really happens on these trips! Katmai Bear Photo Tour Trip Report.