On my last bear boat trip, my group and I had been photographing Coastal Brown Bear sows with their spring cubs in Katmai NP, Alaska. This well-known location allows close proximity to photograph these bears as they feed on the lush sedge meadows. I had been to Katmai several times and was anxious to get my clients some great photos. My group and I had several opportunities with cubs and we even had a cooperative sow with three very young cubs. See one of my photos from that shoot below, you can still see the white fur collar on the cubs-they lose that as they get older..
It had been a good year for berries which meant that mamma bears would mix up their diet a bit and go into the wooded areas with their cubs to forage on berries. It’s never a good idea to chase a bear and it is even a worse idea to chase a bear into the woods. You will most likely surprise a bear with cubs or corner one, either way you do not want that to happen.
These berries were becoming prime and the meadows were no longer filled with bears; this started to happen towards the end of our trip. My guide and I decided to move our group to a new location in order to find some more bears. This is always a risky move because the golden rule in wildlife photography is that you never leave a good situation in hopes of a better situation—that is unless you have exhausted your possibilities and that is what I felt we had done.
That afternoon our first excursion at our new spot, we loaded into a skiff (a shallow, flat-bottomed open boat) and headed out searching the nearby lands looking for bears. We had no luck and my group was starting to get restless. Still, no one gave up hope.
The next morning, we headed back out on the skiff with all of our gear in hopes of finding some bear. It started to rain slightly, and I must admit I was getting a bit worried. Our chances were not looking good…But I had a lot of faith in our guide. It wasn’t soon after having those doubts that we saw a bear, then another, and another… and things started to look up.
Our skiff started to approach the shoreline where we had seen a young bear. He was a subadult (sexually immature juvenile) which meant he was probably kicked out by his mother in order for her to raise her new cubs. He immediately ran to the shoreline as if to greet us. He awaited our approach with a child-like glee. Then he stood up on his hind legs and stared right into our eyes. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He then did a small mock charge, and then again, he was being playful and it was clear he was very bored on that small island alone. He was also very curious about us. He tried to engage us in play, it was hilarious! He did everything he could to get our attention. He would pick something up off the ground and start to run with it, in hopes that we would give chase, just as my dog at home would do.
During our time with this subadult we watched as he played tug of war with a large piece of kelp, and as he ran around the small body of land as if to declare it as his own. He was a bit bashful; that is until he was at a safe distance and then he carried on like a showman! It was sheer joy to watch. To see more of my images of bears from Alaska click on my gallery here.
I’m hoping for another great experience with the bears of Alaska, this time during one of the largest feeding frenzies Alaska has to offer- The Salmon Run.
Salmon Run - Coastal Brown Bears in Alaska- July 25-Aug 1, 2021
Our adventure begins at our remote, riverfront lodge- deep in bear country, accessible only by bush plane. Each morning we will head out via boat to photograph wild coastal brown bears as they fish for salmon on the shoreline. We will be visiting at the height of the salmon run which translates to a plethora of photo opportunities. During this time it’s possible to see over 20 bears in a single day as well as a variety of other wildlife including moose, seal and walrus, beaver, wolverine, porcupine river otter, fox, caribou, wolves, eagles on nests, etc..
Our back country lodge sits on 160 acres of prime river frontage in an iconic section of the Alagnak River known as the upper braids. This river runs through Katmai National Park. Katmai is one of the most prized destinations for wildlife viewing in Alaska, with the highest population of brown bears in the world.
All guest cabins, including the main lodge (where we will have our meals together) have spectacular views of the Alagnak river ,making this a true wilderness experience.
I will work closely with each of you a well as our guides to make sure that we maximize our photo opportunities each day; this will require us to be flexible. On all of my nature workshops I never have a set itinerary, since we are working around wildlife and local conditions.
Included: 8-days, round trip bush flights to lodge from King Salmon Alaska, all meals while at the lodge, all accommodations at the lodge are double occupancy cabins.
Not Included: Flights to/from King Salmon via Anchorage. Tips for the driver/guides/housekeeping, laundry, alcoholic beverages.
Dates: July 25-August 1st, 2021
Price: $7895. dbl occupancy
Deposit Information:
A non-refundable deposit of $2,000 due now to hold your spot. Final payments are due November 30, 2020 via check or wire transfer only, fees on both ends are the responsibility of the participant. Credit cards will not be accepted for any payment other than deposit. Full payments are always welcomed via check or wire transfer . All checks made payable to: Denise Ippolito LLC.
Please be sure to check your calendar carefully and to check out my Workshop Policy Page.
Note: Purchasing travel insurance is strongly recommended.
*A detailed additional information file/ gear list will be sent out once our entire group is together. Please do not book flights until you have heard back from me that the trip is a go. Minimum/Maximum 10 participants.
*World-class fly-fishing available-inquire within.
