THE SEARCH FOR BEARS

This past August I went back to Alaska for the salmon run. Predicting the salmon run is always a little bit of a crap shoot, but if you hit it right, the streams are teeming with fish and brown bears are having a feast. This year we were there at the "right" time, but the salmon were not. The theory among our guides was that commercial fishing took most of the fish in the bay a few years ago, leaving nothing to return for spawning this year. This is an ongoing issue in Alaskan waters. That said, there were a few stray fish, with some hungry bears on patrol, along with otters in the bay, orcas causing trouble for the otters, and great bird life everywhere. This was my first time in Katmai National Park, and it's amazing. The bay is surrounded by mountains, glaciers and forests. A beautiful place. Access to nearly all of the streams and tidal flats are by boat and tide dependent, which makes for a very different experience. ( I got a lot of practice taking shots of birds in flight from a rocking boat ) It's also great to have the opportunity to move quickly to another place if we spot some action. It was a great trip. Enjoy some of my favorite shots from Katmai. (click to start or stop the slideshow)