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!