Chris Weston Wildlife Photography

Katmai National Park and Preserve is one of North America’s great wildlife-viewing areas. During the latter part of August and into early September a massive sockeye salmon run in the river attracts the bears, which come from the surrounding countryside to feed on the fish. The bears, intent on fishing, give us the opportunity to photograph them in a variety of habitats, from a beautiful waterfall where they forage for jumping salmon to a quiet bend in the river where mothers can bring their cubs, to the wide open area of Halo Bay where even the bears are dwarfed by the mighty mountain backdrop.

Highlights

• Wild and remote location - no crowds
• Guaranteed bear sightings
• Witness the summer salmon run
• Fully guided tour
• New locations daily

Description

In the past eight years I have made five journeys to the Katmai Peninsular to photograph brown bears during the annual salmon run. And, of all the places I have visited for my work, I can honestly say that this is my favourite!

Our journey begins from the staging point of Kodiak Island, home of the famous Kodiak brown bear – the largest of all the bears. After an overnight stop on Kodiak, we take a flight in a small floatplane (with outstanding views below of the Alaskan countryside) to our “hotel” for the duration of the trip – a private charter boat.

For the next six days we will explore the Alaskan coastline, on foot, from sheltered Geographic Harbour to the hidden inlets of Kinak and Kaflia Bays and the lush grasses of Kuliak Bay, along to Hallo Bay, with its open beaches set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

Each destination provides a very different aspect on the bears and during the course of the adventure we expect to see bears of all shapes and sizes, from mothers with cubs-of-the-year, to frolicking yearlings, mischievous adolescents and big, dominant males.

The action will be constant. Bears are typically solitary creatures. But once a year, in Katmai, they drop their guard for a few weeks to feast on the salmon that overflow the rivers and inlets and waterfalls. Photographic opportunities abound, as the bears adopt various “fishing” techniques to catch the salmon, occasionally fighting and jostling among themselves for the prime pickings.

Expect to see large numbers of bears and anticipate getting closer to them than you ever imagined possible. You will want to bring your wide-angle lenses as well as your super-zooms. This is an amazing adventure where you will truly experience being a part of the action rather than simply a voyeur. This is wildlife photography at its very best!