Image of the Month
Brown Bears of
Katmai
Brooks
Camp, located deep in Alaska’s Katmai National Park, is home to a very
special breed of anglers. Found along the banks of the Brooks River are some
of the finest fishermen to be found. What sets them apart is their unique
fishing style - they don’t use an expensive graphite rod, a reel, or
even a hook. They use their mouths. Every summer hundreds of photographers
make the trek to the viewing platforms at Brooks Falls to witness this rare
phenomenon of nature.
The
brown bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve, also known as grizzlies,
have a keen sense for hunting and have found this angler’s paradise here
at Brooks amidst the majestic wilderness of Katmai’s glacial ice and
volcanic scenery. It offers them an abundant supply of salmon, rich in
protein, that provides them the nourishment to grow larger than their inland
cousins and to store up a fat reserve to sustain them through the coming
winter’s hibernation. More than 2,000 brown bears inhabit Katmai National
Park, making them the world’s largest protected population. They are also
among the largest bears in the world, weighing up to 1,000 pounds.
As
the sockeye salmon make their way back to their spawning grounds after
spending three years in the North Pacific, the falls of the Brooks River
must be jumped as they continue their swim upstream. This location is
perhaps one of the most accessible locations to photograph these magnificent
creatures. To the brown bears delight, the falls becomes an
all-you-can-eat smorgasbord.
The
best fishing spot, where the most dominate bear normally stands, is on top
of the falls facing downriver. Standing in the swift moving current the
bears display that ever important trait of any good fisherman, patience. The
bear waits for the salmon to jump up the falls, and when one does, it
snatches it in midair with its powerful jaws.
Visitors
have a front seat view of all the action from an elevated viewing platform
that holds about forty people. New this year is a second viewing platform
located just below the falls allowing visitors to view the bears in a
shallow rapids section of the river. These two platforms are connected by a
boardwalk that eases the congestion of visitors getting to and from the
upper falls platform and accommodates more visitors at one time. During the
salmon run there can be as many as thirty to forty bears along the
mile-and-a half long river.
Brooks
Camp is located approximately 265 miles southwest of Anchorage. Getting
there is an adventure in its self because you can only get there by a boat
or floatplane. Most people fly into near by King Salmon, thirty miles to the
north, and take a floatplane into the lodge. Brook Camp encompasses the area
between Brooks Lake and Naknek Lake. It is has a National Park Service
visitor’s center, a lodge, cabins, campground and various trails that lead
to the lower and upper viewing platforms as well as awesome scenic
viewpoints.
Start
making your plans for next year!
Travel safe and Good Shooting!
Nikon
F5,
Nikon 400f2.8 AFS, Gitzo G1349 tripod w/ Arca Swiss B-1, Agfa RSX
100.
