brown

By Debi Lander

Close-up of Coastal Brown Bear

Muscular bear moves along; Kodiak on the banks

Atypical preschooler’s alphabet book teaches that “B” is for brown bears. That’s exactly what I hoped to see and photograph – Kodiak and Coastal Brown Bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve. I caught a short flight to Kodiak Island from Anchorage, Alaska, home to Kodiak bears, the largest subspecies of grizzlies. I found the Buskin River alive with thrashing salmon, so many, it looked like you could drop a net and scoop out twelve. The annual salmon run provides the perfect opportunity for hungry bears to fatten up before hibernation.

Alas, I did not see a Kodiak until afternoon. Then, excitedly I spied a chocolate-colored creature nonchalantly strolling the banks. He entered the water and forcefully pounced on a fish in the river, tearing it apart with his long claws. Yikes!

The following morning, I donned thigh-high wader’s and boarded a floatplane headed to Geographic Harbor within Katmai Park. What a thrill to discover about 15 coastal brown bears. These momentarily gentle giants focused on feeding and didn’t seem to care about my small group. They followed their instincts as they fished and paraded down the waterway.

Like a mother anticipates her child’s routines, our expert guide predicted the habits of the resident bears. He led us to prime viewing spots yielding an up-close encounter with a mama bear trailing three mischievous cubs. They frolicked with sibling rivalry, watching mom until she produced a real teddy bearlike picnic.

To take advantage of this extraordinary experience, you must visit during the late summer/early fall.

Photos: Bear Tracks; (From top): Mama checks on her cubs; Climbing the banks; The three little bears; Cubs on the banks