Fishing, Alaska Style

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 experienced fisherman knows he only has to wait patiently and the fish will come to him.

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!

Bears at Brooks Falls

Fishing at Brooks Falls

     For the past few weeks I've been eating breakfast and lunch with the bears at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park in Alaska.  The Park Service set up two web cams aimed at the falls and the river.  Though of us who can't make it to Alaska can see the live action, too.  Explore.org features the bears, as well as a lot of other animals, on its site.
      Last night I had an extra treat when I came in to listen to Ranger Mike talk about the different bears.  It was an amazing night at the Falls.   The salmon were huge and plentiful.   The bears would position themselves and wait for a salmon to swim right by.  At one time I counted 13 bears.  The hour flew by!

    This female bear, #409, is a great fisher.  She caught a number of fish last night.   Another female, not shown in the picture, was standing nearby waiting for a chance to take the fish away or to at least get the leftovers.

      The bears are all numbered, and some have been named by the people who watch and regularly chat on-line.   I tried to take good notes as Ranger Mike talked.  There's a free e-book available that has all their pictures and great info.

Adult male #747 fishing in the “Jacuzzi”.

     Holly and her two cubs were there, too.   The small one on the left is a female.  The middle cub is a male that she adopted.  I haven't learned the story about how that happened yet.  He's a year older than the female and doesn't like to share his food.    You can see his darker coloring in this picture.

    These two keep their mom busy all the time.   But she seems like a really good and patient mother.   They fish in an area called the Ripples, away from the bigger males.

   

       A big male with his catch.

An eagle watches from a high tree.

     Two large males engaged in "jaw popping" as they sorted out who was going to be the dominate male.   It didn't last long before one of them backed away.  I was glad to see that. The fishing was good and a fight could seriously hurt both of them.   One of the bears lost an ear in June during a fight.




       This photo was taken about 9 p.m. Alaska time.  The bears were still fishing and eating when I went to bed.