PHOTOGRAPH BROWN BEARS IN ALASKA DURING THE SALMON RUN. JULY/AUG 2009

This trip was researched by me in 2006. I have exactly re-created what I did on that trip. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to change anything. My four days photographing these bears were without doubt the most enjoyable four days photography of my entire lifetime. Nothing has surpassed the sheer exhilaration of lying on the ground just a few metres away from these amazing animals. The largest of these bears weigh in excess of 500 kilos.

Living on a Boat

We leave Kodiak City on a small float plane. We are treated to an hour long flight over stunning countryside. You will see vast mountain ranges, picturesque valleys, green forests, vivid blue water and snow capped mountains (see gallery). Our destination is a boat that will be waiting for us in the Shelikof Strait. This will be our home for the next few nights. It is a converted research vessel that began life as a tugboat built for the US army. It is 70 feet long and heavyset with thick wooden beams. This means that, anchored in a sheltered cove, the boat is much less likely to rock and roll on the sea. The boat is no five star liner. The cabins are twin share and quite small. They are basically for sleeping in, storing your luggage, and little else. There are toilets and showers and a sizeable and warm lounge/diner above. They have a gourmet cook on board and the food really is excellent. Freshly caught halibut is regularly on the menu.

Why stay on a boat?

The reason for staying on a boat is twofold. Firstly you can guarantee that you will not get an unexpected visit from a bear in the middle of the night. The other hugely important reason is that the boat is mobile and is able to quickly put us ashore on the beaches with the highest populations of bears. (At one stage in 2006, we were surrounded by no less than 26 bears in one bay). Any necessary travelling can be done during the night, and we then have all of the day to watch the bears. No down-time, and increased bear viewing opportunities result.

Transfer by Skiff

Each day we leave the boat and are transferred to the best bear viewing locations by skiff. This is a very shallow bottomed aluminium motor-boat. Waders are supplied to all for final disembarkation. There will be a maximum of 8 in our group, and we unlikely to see any other people during our day.

Almost Exclusive and Varied Locations

To say we have exclusive use of our locations would not be entirely factual. We are so privileged to be at theses locations, however, that more often than not we will see no other humans during the day. The boat that we are using is the one that is used by the top professional photographers and film makers of the world. Our guide (with us at all times when we are ashore) is hugely experienced in bear behaviour. He has assisted Arte Wolfe, Matthias Breiter, IMAX, Animal Planet, BBC, Discovery Channel and many more.

Katmai National Park Study

A study was done on the impact of the company that owns the boat we are using. The results were. "The company is an ecologically minded eco-tourism company operating in a very low impact manner, always having an experienced naturalist accompany people ashore. Ocean tides of up to 26 feet, some of the largest tides in the world, erase most of the human tracks daily. This is a rare window of opportunity for people who want to view bears doing their natural thing without being disturbed by a lot of other people. The area is largely undiscovered by the public, even though it is a national park. It is our least visited national park, and is largely pristine wilderness. As more people discover it, rules will have to be made, but for the time being small groups can walk virtually anywhere without restriction and watch bears behave as they have for thousands of years. This has been recommended as the best way to see Brown/Grizzly Bears living their natural lives in a variety of situations. The area is over a hundred miles from the nearest road, so the inaccessibility of the area virtually assures you will not come across another person outside this group."

Your Safety

How safe are the bears? Safety is always paramount on any of our trips, and it is impossible predict exactly what a wild animal will do in every situation. Our guide has built up a wealth of knowledge of these bears and regularly works alongside some of the world's top bear ecologists. Bears are normally fearful of humans. It is almost always when humans take the bears by surprise, that undesired behaviour occurs. It is reassuring to hear our guide continually shouting "Hey Bear" when we are on the move. The bears recognise this and keep their distance. He also carries a flare gun and pepper sprays, but has reassuringly never resorted to using either of these. A mark of his expertise.

Bears Fishing for Salmon

The trip has been designed to coincide with the annual "Salmon Run". Again the reasons are twofold. Partly because this is a great spectacle to watch, but also because it is the safest time to watch the bears. All that is on the bears' minds is eating as much fish as they can in the shortest possible time. Their success during this period is what sees them through the winter months. Bears are normally very territorial and will not allow other bears onto their patch. There is an uneasy truce at this time. You will see an amount of snarling, but almost never is there any physical contact between them. Neither contestant wants to risk injury at this critical time. The mothers are extremely protective of their cubs when a large male appears, and it is invariably the male who retreats. The salmon are the most active as the tide goes out. They become very concentrated in the narrowing streams and gullies as the water level drops. This is the time the bears (and we photographers) have been waiting for. The largest bears take the prime positions, the lesser bears take the fringes. There is usually plenty for all. I photographed one bear with a large salmon under each front paw as well as one in his mouth. He still tried to get another as it passed.

Whale Watching

It has been decided that it is advisable to have a "buffer day" both before and after the Bear watching. This is to provide flexibility for the boat plane, should the seas become less than smooth for landing. We will take a private boat on at least one of these days. We will look to photograph whales, a local sea otter colony, and possibly also a puffin colony. Whales were plentiful on the day I spent watching them in 2006. We will stay at the Best Western Kodiak Inn for 2 nights before, and 2 nights after the bear watching. This will be on a B & B basis, twin share.

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Click here to view 2006 Photo Gallery

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Booking this Trip

This trip will need to be booked and a non refundable deposit (£500) will need to be paid almost 12 months in advance. It will require a minimum of 5 persons and a maximum of eight persons to accompany me. We can spend either 3 nights or 5 nights on the boat. 3 nights means two full days and two half days bear photography (subject to float plane). 5 nights means four full days and two half days bear photography (subject to float plane). The optimum time to go is mid-July to mid August.

Estimated Costs ; (to be confirmed at time of booking and to be booked approx 12 months prior to departure)

4 days bear watching ( 7 nights ) £3250.00

6 days bear watching ( 9 nights ) £4050.00

Included;

Hotel in Kodiak 4 nights on B & B basis, Float plane transfer from Kodiak to boat, All food while on the boat, Day trip whale watching, Photographic tuition, Services of experienced bear naturalist, Use of waders, Transfer to and from Kodiak airport.