Notes From The Field- Images of Alaska Bears, July 2012, katmai, Alaska

I am back in town for a few days. It has been another amazing summer so far, and all 5 Kodiak-Katmai Grizzlies
Expeditions  were a huge success. The weather wasn’t always perfect, as can be expected in coastal Alaska, but the bears and bear viewers didn’t seem to mind. Some of the highlights of each trip occurred on a small, mountainous island a few miles offshore where a female bear resided with her tiny, 6 month old spring cub.  She was spotted running along the beach in early June with 2 cubs, threatened and frightened by the presence of numerous large, adult male bears.  She took to the water and began swimming the 2 miles to the refuge of the island, where she had been raised by her mother 8 years ago.  Unfortunately, one of her cubs did not make it, and was lost in the surf.  The surviving cub climbed atop her mother bear’s back and rode the distance to safety, where they have remained since.  The island is a great place to raise a cub because there are no dangerous male bears, and they have ample food sources, including sand bars filled with clams, numerous eggs from nesting gulls, and a variety of edible plants such as angelica (wild celery).  Here are some images of this charismatic pair of bears.

Mother and cub, living on a safe, isolated island offshore. image Brad Josephs

Cub kissing mom

Searching the beach for clams at low tide on a sunny morning.