Fishing, Alaska Style
It's a great time of year in Katmai National Park in Alaska. Salmon are running and bears are feasting. Every day hundreds of visitors are flocking to Alaska to view the bears. An estimated 20,000 viewed them in 2016.
I'm watching the bears, too, but remotely from Arizona. In fact, I have breakfast and lunch with them almost every day. The bear cams located at Brooks Falls are better than ever and very popular.
This younger bear has picked a spot further down the river, away from the big guys. It looks like luck is with him today as he holds his snagged fish.
The site is not only fun, it's educational. The Park Service provides free e-books that teach about grizzly bears. Even more interesting is that it tells us the name, age, sex and other known information about individual local bears. Ranger talks are broadcast frequently, too. For anyone who isn't fortunate enough to watch the grizzly bears in person, the bear cams provide the next best chance to see these great animals up close.
So the next time you have a few spare minutes or need a relaxing break, check out the Brooks Falls Bears. Just be careful--bear cams are addictive!