About This BlogBears. Salmon. Volcanoes. Wilderness. Culture. These are the terranes of Katmai. Each is distinct, but in combination these features create a place like no other. Read about the uniqueness of Katmai in this blog. Fat Bear Week 2021
October 06, 2021
A look back at the excitement of the 2021 Fat Bear Week competition. Beyond Brooks Camp
August 30, 2020
A look at opportunities outside of the Brooks Camp Developed Area experienced by one ranger at Katmai. Notes from the Field: The Ethics of Science
September 15, 2017
Visiting a bear health exam on the Changing Tides Project reveals the care scientists show in protecting and understanding these impressive animals. Notes from the Field: A Tale of Two Bears
September 01, 2017
Spending time around bears provides fascinating glimpses into their unique personalities and habits. Notes from the Field: Adagio of Life and Death
September 01, 2017
Scenes of life and death on the Katmai coast can reveal both stories of renewal and stories of loss, often in the same events. Bear Profile: 435 "Holly"
September 03, 2016
Mother bears are always on the clock. Learn how this summer has been for 435 "Holly," who emancipated her cubs this past spring. Changing Tides - Bluebird Days For Researchers And Bears
June 15, 2016
The first step for the 2016 portion of the Changing Tides Project was a success! 10 female bears have been collared for the 2016 study year. Why National Parks Can't Ignore Individual Animals
January 20, 2016
A recent Yellowstone Science article describes how a focus on individual animals limits our ability to preserve wildlife populations, but this is not true. Naming an animal, referring to its individuality, or connecting with it isn’t a weakness of the human condition or near-sighted. We must recognize the role of the individual in wildlife management, conservation, and especially in public appreciation. Recent Bear Deaths at Brooks River
November 23, 2015
Bearcam 2015 ended with startling deaths that highlighted the harsh realities of a bear’s world. The death of two bears, a young cub and an adult male, offered the opportunity to learn from events that people rarely have the opportunity to observe and study. Collaring and Handling Bears for the Changing Tides Project
September 02, 2015
Tranquilizing wild animals requires considerable skill, especially in remote locations. Late Night at Brooks Falls
August 31, 2015
From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. June 15 to August 15, the platforms and boardwalks at Brooks Falls are closed. In order to better understand how bears use the falls when no humans are present, I assisted Brooks Camp’s bear monitor, Leslie Skora, with an overnight monitoring session from 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., then again from 4 to 7 a.m. Through the Lens: A Photojournalist and the Changing Tides Project Part 2
August 17, 2015
Climbing out of my tent at 5:30 a.m. revealed an absolutely stunning morning. The water-striped mud flats of the low tide in Hallo Bay reflected the morning sun and silhouetted clamming bears off in the distance. As we hiked along the beach to the observation spot, my camera gear, tripod, and large lens made it’s presence known on my back. I wasn’t going to regret not bringing something with me on this once in a lifetime opportunity. Picture Hallo Bay
August 13, 2015
Picture this: You walk through tall beach grass over a sandy berm and see purple, pink, and yellow wildflowers lining lush sedge meadows. A branch of a nearby creek divides the meadow. In the distance, a wall of snow-capped mountains loom over, broken only by a glacier that has wedged itself between the peaks. What you're imagining isn't some picturesque ad from a travel agency, but the hidden wonder of Hallo Bay. Thank God for Shelter
August 12, 2015
After experiencing some of the weather at Hallo Bay, I most certainly appreciate the good in life—heck, even the mediocre—better than I used to. Expectations Versus Reality at Brooks Camp
August 11, 2015
Even as a resident of Anchorage, I had never heard of Katmai or Brooks Camp before coming to King Salmon. I was unaware of the fact that Katmai had volcanoes and that invasive plants are affecting the national parks and spreading faster than a bear can run. Before arriving in King Salmon, I was a little nervous about going to Brooks camp because even though I am more apprehensive of moose than bears, what could be more nerve-racking than being surrounded by the world’s largest land predators? Next Month on Bearcam
July 30, 2015
What should you expect to see at Brooks River and on bearcam over the next month? While other parts of Katmai fill with bears in August, it’s the opposite at Brooks Camp. August brings bears more opportunities to find food away from Brooks River. To Name or Not to Name?
May 07, 2015
Bears at Brooks River are assigned numbers for monitoring, management, and identification purposes. Inevitably, some bears acquire nicknames from staff and these nicknames are shared with the public, but naming wild animals is not without controversy. Is it appropriate to name wild animals? Chasing Bigger Bears
October 07, 2014
Who's on bottom of the bear hierarchy? Young subadult bears, like bear 500, that's who. On Sunday, October 5, part of an extended chase was seen on the River Watch bearcam. 435 Holly’s adopted yearling chased subadult bear 500 while Holly’s spring cub and Holly herself tried to keep up. What We Did On Our Summer Vacation
October 06, 2014
In May 2014 my wife, Ann, and I were vacationing on the southern Oregon coast. Upon checking my email while watching Pacific waves crash against sea stacks I saw an unexpected message from my former Katmai National Park supervisor. Curious, I thought. I have not heard from him in some time. “I know this is a long shot, but would you consider returning to Brooks Camp this summer?” he wrote. Abandoned Cub Finds a New Mother
September 11, 2014
In early July, bear 402 abandoned her yearling cub. Rangers, including myself, were routinely asked, “Will it find another bear to care for it?” My usual response to this question was coldly factual, "Adoption of cubs by another bear is very rare. It has been documented, but is unlikely to happen." However, bears, even young bears, are adaptable and smart. They possess the ability to recognize favorable situations and take advantage of them. 402’s abandoned yearling is no exception. Extreme Camping on the Kamishak
September 14, 2014
Kamishak is a long, winding river which empties into Kamishak Bay at the very top of Katmai National Park and Preserve. It has little visitation...by people. I had the opportunity to go for work and spend four nights, five days on this river doing what was later explained to me as "extreme camping." The Blowing Preserve
August 26, 2014
Brown bears are the consummate omnivores, and Katmai National Park and Preserve provides an untrammeled land for its most dominant inhabitant to travel in search of food of all shapes and sizes. The Katmai Keystone
August 22, 2014
The Bristol Bay region is some of the largest runs of Pacific salmon in the world. Salmon are the keystone species of Katmai National Park. The Brooks Camp area and Katmai in general would not be what it is today without sockeye salmon. Everything present has been built on salmon and their annual migration from vast oceans to Katmai. Being Dominant
July 15, 2014
Dominant male bears along the Brooks River gain many advantages over other bears. They can access the most preferred fishing spots when they choose, easily appropriate food from other bears, and have a higher likelihood of courting female bears and siring offspring. Gaining access to food allows bears to grow larger. Growing larger gives bears a greater chance to become reproductively successful. Thoughts on Hallo Bay
June 27, 2014
If and when the public think of Katmai National Park and Preserve, they are increasingly thinking of bears, particularly wild brown bears in relatively large concentrations. From the popular Alaska attractions of Homer and Kodiak many wildlife tours visit a place called Hallo Bay. Starvation Time
April 25, 2014
Spring is a season often associated with increasing abundance. However, if your name is Ursus arctos, the brown bear, then springtime may be the hardest season to survive. |
Last updated: April 14, 2015