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Katmai National Park, Alaska

Below: We flew to Katmai on a float plane and landed on a lake deep into this remote park. This is Mount Douglas near the coast.



Below: The snowy highlands looked dazzling from the air.



Below: The area we hiked to was forested with lots of violet fireweed flowers (Chamerion angustifolium).



Below: After hiking for about a mile we came across a large grizzly bear eating a fish that he, apparently, just caught in nearby Brooks River. He looked up at us as if to say "Don't even think about taking my fish!"



Below: When we arrived at Brooks River we were amazed to see six grizzly bears fishing!



Below: The bears were large and imposing creatures but they were not interested in us at all. They were only interested in the salmon in the river. We were able to get real close to them without feeling in danger.



Below: The bears were excellent fishermen. They used a variety of methods to catch the salmon then ate them fresh on the spot. We saw a total of eight grizzly bears which caught and ate over 50 large salmon in less than three hours. This was an amazing, spectacular sight. We were mesmerized.





















Below: So what does a grizzly bear do after a big day catching and eating salmon? Take a nap, of course. We approached within 15 feet of this sleeping bear to get this picture, being careful not to wake him up. Our visit to Katmai National Park was the most wonderful wildlife experience we've ever had.