Seasoned Travelers Encounter Alaska's Fishing Grizzlies

“This was our seventh trip with Nat Hab. Our remote location and the proximity to the bears made it one of the most memorable. When we stepped onto Katmai’s shore for the first time, our guide, Sean, told us we were 160 miles from the nearest improved road. We had numerous bears at close range to us throughout each day, including multiple mother and cub pairs. Sean guided us to locations and instructed us in actions that did not affect the bears in any way and allowed us to intimately observe their behaviors. In addition to the fantastic and exciting bear viewing, we also saw a wolf at a very short distance across a river.”

— Bill and Kathy Carrier | Wild Alaska Grizzly Encounter

Brown bear carrying a fish along Alaska's Katmai Coast.

A wolf along the Katmai Coast in Alaska.

Brown bear with cub along Alaska's Katmai Coast.

“We have wanted to see the bears in Alaska for a long time and finally joined an adventure at the end of September. As this was our sixth trip with Nat Hab, we knew it would be wonderful, and indeed it was from the outset. Our first flight to Katmai National Park on a floatplane (a first for us) was a blast! We attended the ranger talk on bear encounters, had to wait at the foot of a bridge for quite a while before crossing as there were two bears in the water (also a first) and then walked to Brooks Falls. And there they were! Almost a dozen bears were right there at the falls, fishing for salmon! We were so excited, it was hard to choose which to photograph first! As it was the end of the season, there were no other groups on the viewing platform, so it was easy to get great views of these magnificent animals. We were lucky enough to see a mom with four cubs, and we really enjoyed seeing her tending to them. We had many close encounters over the next few days, but that first sighting at Brooks Falls really stands out for us!”

— Beverly Friedman | Bears of Brooks Falls: Solitude Season