One my favorite wild places to photograph bears is Anan Creek, just a short boat ride out of Wrangell, Alaska. Anan is special because it supports one of the largest pink salmon runs in Southeast Alaska which in turn supports a lot of bears feasting in this flowing river of protein. The U.S. Forest Service […]
Bears
Photo Contest Winner, Anan Bears, Alaska #3444
The National Wildlife Federation has announced the winners of its 2022 annual National Wildlife® Photo Contest. Thousands of photographers from around the world submitted more than 30,000 photos of wildlife, rich landscapes, and incredible encounters with nature. The collection of ten images of the bears of Anan Creek I submitted in the portfolio category won first place. I am so honored and excited […]
A 2022 WINNER
December 2022 The National Wildlife Federation has announced the winners of its 2022 annual National Wildlife® Photo Contest. Thousands of photographers from around the world submitted more than 30,000 photos of wildlife, rich landscapes, and incredible encounters with nature. The collection of ten images of the bears of Anan Creek I submitted in the portfolio category […]
Black Bear Cub, Juneau, Alaska #3436
A black bear cub pauses to take a break from ravenously feeding on dandelions along Juneau’s road system. Each spring dandelions line the roadside of, what Juneauites call “Out the Road.” The yellow banquet of flowers, although invasive, provides a much-needed food source for the bears. I love that the dandelions are taller than this first-year cub. […]
Black Bear Cubs, Anan Creek, Wrangell, Alaska #3441
Two black bear cubs hang out in a spruce tree while waiting for their mom who is fishing in Anan Creek for pink salmon. What’s special about Anan Creek is that it probably supports the largest wild pink salmon run along Alaska’s Inside Passage. This salmon run, in turn, supports a bear population of 35 […]
Black Bears, Anan Wildlfie Observatory, Wrangell, AK #3419
A mom and cub black bear sneak by group of clueless photographers who have just left the viewing deck at the Anan Wildlife Observatory near Wrangell, Alaska. I have showed this image to a lot of people, and their reactions range from a small smile or a chuckle to an out right belly laugh. I […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Southeast Alaska #3411
Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory is located in the old growth forest of the Tongass National Forest, the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. The spawning pink salmon in Anan Creek fill the stream from bank to bank and run into a very steep waterfall blocking them from reaching their spawning grounds. Only the strong, […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Wrangell, Alaska #3410
I have been going to Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, located an hour boat ride from Wrangell in Southeast Alaska, for the past 13 years. The Observatory sits on the edge of Anan Creek, which is packed with spawning pink salmon and supports a large population of black and brown bears. I always get a calendar […]
Black Bear Cub, Juneau, Alaska #3396
A black bear cub pauses to take a breather from its ravenous feeding of dandelions along Juneau’s road system. Each spring dandelions line the roadside, what Juneauites call “Out the Road,” starting around mile15. The yellow banquet, although invasive, provides a much-needed food source for the bears. Thank you for visiting and enjoy – Camera: #Nikon #D850, Lens: # Nikkor 80-400mm, […]
Cover, Wrangell Summer Guide, Alaska #3394
My good friend and proud new owner of the Wrangell Sentinel, Larry Persily, chose my photo of two black bear cubs at Anan Creek as the cover of the newspaper’s 2021 Visitors Guide. Wrangell is the gateway community for most anyone wanting to see the bears at the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory. The trip to […]
In the News
Today (Jan. 7, 2021), the Wrangell Sentinel ran a photo of mine, of bears and eagles from Anan Creek, across five columns on the front page. My dear friend, Larry Persily, recently bought the struggling small-town paper and wanted to make a splash with the first issue under his new ownership. I have known Larry […]
Brown Bear, Raven, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, AK #3365:
Bears and birds have a symbiotic relationship at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island. The brown bears catch the spawning salmon, drag the fish to shore to eat, and leave the scraps for the birds, mostly ravens and gulls. As the bears charge up and down the creek to catch their salmon they also stir up […]
Bears & Eagles, Anan Creek, Alaska #3360
Sometimes when I am out photographing, it can be hard to believe what I am seeing. In my wildest dream I could have never, ever imagined a shot with two black bear cubs and two bald eagles in the same tree. To top it off, the clear spacing and unobstructed visibility in this photo is […]
Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3344
Besides having so many adult bears roaming around at Anan Creek, there are usually a bunch of first year cubs as well. I counted six cubs one year, just hanging out around the viewing platform. As much as I love taking pictures, I use my passion for photography as a way to experience the world. […]
Black Bear and Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3343
A black bear sow nurses its cub at Anan Creek near Wrangell, Alaska. The US Forest Service operates a viewing platform where I go to photograph and enjoy free-roaming bears going about their daily lives. This year will mark my 13th annual pilgrimage to photograph the bears at Anan. I am often asked why I […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska #3342
Anan Creek is known as one of the best places in Alaska to photograph bears. The creek is one of the most productive pink salmon streams in Alaska. Anan Creek drainage supports a population of 35-plus black bears and 12-20 brown bears. Visitors to the site walk along a half mile trail to a viewing […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska #3341
While leaving the viewing platform at Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, a group of wildlife photographers missed a momma bear and cub scooting by behind them. As a photographer I try to be constantly aware of everything around me. More often than I care to admit, I can be outfoxed by a sneaky critter. I took […]
Black Bear Cubs, Anan Creek, Alaska #3132
This image titled “Alaska Eden” was the second Mark Kelley image accepted in the 2019 Alaska Positive Exhibit. The exhibit at the Alaska State Museum opened Friday, December 6, and runs through February 15, 2020. Now in its 49th year, Alaska Positive is a biennial exhibition of Alaska photography sponsored by the Alaska State Museum. This year’s juror, David Michael […]
Black Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3130
A baby black bear hangs out in a tree waiting for its mother to finish fishing in the creek below. Bears at Anan Creek are so fun to photograph. It really is a must-do and bucket-list photo destination. I have been traveling there for the last twelve summers and look forward too many more trips. […]
Coastal Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, AK #3129
A coastal brown bear takes a break from feeding in the low-tide zone in Glacier Bay National Park. Salmon season is short in Glacier Bay and most of the park’s coastal brown bears make a living turning over rocks and eating the little critters they can find under the rocks. Bears are wary of humans […]
Grizzly Bear, Gates of the Arctic NP, Alaska #3120
A grizzly walks down the Noatak River in front of the rugged Brooks Range Mountains on a beautiful autumn evening in Gates of the Arctic National Park. The light in the image is the light that photographers dream of. Just minutes after taking this photo the light completely disappeared from the bear and the mountains. […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Wrangell, AK #3110
A black bear sow nurses its first year cub at Anan Creek near Wrangell, Alaska. The US Forest Service operates a viewing platform where 60 people per day get to watch wild, free roaming bears going about their daily lives. This is my 12th year of photographing the bears at Anan, and this time I hosted a group of […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Alaska #3086
This black bear cub found itself separated from its mother. The cub climbed a tree for safety and started bawling for its mother to return. The mother bear was at the creek catching pink salmon; she heard the baby’s call and came running. This image represents the incredibly affectionate and extremely tight mother-and-cub bond that […]
Black Bear, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK #3080
One of the most beloved and recognizable bears along Steep Creek in the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is bear #25, also affectionately known by locals as “Nicky”. In this image I shot on Saturday, she catches a very large coho salmon in Steep Creek and brings it back to her two cubs. Two weeks ago […]
Grizzly, Denali National Park, Alaska #3077
I love a big beautiful face-shot of a bear, but every once in a while I like to show my wildlife subjects in their environment. In the photo business this image is called an environmental portrait. The bear walking up a mountain on a windy day, and the river running through the valley below, defines […]
Grizzly Bear, Gates of the Arctic NP, Alaska #3073
Two weeks ago I spent eight days canoeing the Noatak River in the Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve with my wife and six other friends. In spite of the cold and rainy weather we had an amazing trip paddling and hiking our way through 50 river-miles of the Brooks Range. The Gates […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Alaska #3071
Mother black bears are wonderful mothers. Sows are very affectionate and protective of their newborns. They will care for their cubs for sixteen months before weaning them and sending them out on their own. Anan Creek is one of the best places in Alaska to photograph bears. I have been traveling to Anan Creek every […]
Black Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3069
A baby black bear rests in a tree while mamma bear fishes in Anan Creek below. Mother black bears send their little ones up a tree to keep them safe while she hunts for food. Born in a den in late January or early February baby black bears are blind, nearly hairless, and weigh under a […]
Black Bear Cubs and Eagles, Anan Creek, Alaska #3067
Two black bear cubs and two bald eagles, a juvenile and a mature eagle, hang out in a spruce tree near Anan Creek just outside of Wrangell, Alaska. Starting in 2008 I have traveled annually to Anan Creek to photograph the wildlife. During these 11 years I have never seen bears and eagles in the […]
Coastal Brown Bear, Glacier Bay, Alaska #3065
At the end of June I spent a week in Glacier Bay National Park with my good friend Ronn Patterson, onboard his 50-foot boat the “Delphinus” to conduct a photo workshop with another good friend and photographer, Betty Sederquist. One morning as we were waking up we spotted this big adult coastal brown bear on […]
Black Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3028
“Hanging Out” – A black bear cub hangs out in a tree while its mother fishes for pink salmon in Anan Creek. I love this image because the cub looks so comfortable and relaxed in what seems like a very precarious position on a couple of skinny branches. Black bear cubs are great climbers. I have […]
Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska #3024
The native peoples from Southeast Alaska have a saying that roughly goes like this:”When the tide is out the table is set.” This juvenile brown bear understands the saying well. Brown bears in Glacier Bay spend their time feeding at low tide turning over rocks and slurping up any creatures uncovered. Brown bear cubs stay with […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Alaska #3023
A black bear cub got separated from its mother and climbed in a spruce tree waiting to be found. The cub stood in the tree bawling for it mom as you can see my previous posting (Image #3017). The mother bear finally heard its cub’s wailing and came to the rescue. Anan Creek is one of the […]
Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska #3019
A large coastal brown bear is an impressive animal, just check out its claws. I photographed this bear last week at low tide in Glacier Bay National Park while leading a photo workshop onboard the M/V Delphinus for Captain Ronn Patterson. It is a wonder me that this powerful animal makes a living eating the many small […]
Baby Black Bear, Anan Creek #3017
Last week I spent three days at the Anan Forest Service cabin in Wrangell, Alaska, with family and friends celebrating my birthday. I had a wonderful time photographing bears, but almost had more fun celebrating, eating chocolate cake, drinking mojitos, and singing a rousing rendition of the Beatles song “When I Am Sixty-four”. I wanted to […]
Brown Bear, Middle Creek, Admiralty Island, AK #2980
Photographing in a heavy downpour is really a low percentage shoot. It is incredibly difficult on the photographer and equipment, everything gets wet. I am trying to shoot more and more in the rain, and I usually shoot under a golf umbrella. Again, it is all very cumbersome and sometimes it makes me want to scream, but when it works… This […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska…Image 2975
A black bear sits outside a small cave scratching an itch. I shot this photo from the photo blind that the US Forest Service maintains at the Anan Creek Bear Observatory platform near Wrangell, Alaska. This is one of the very few streams that supports a large population of both black and coastal brown bears. Better known bear […]
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska – #2971
I am the lucky guy that got to spend the first week of August in Denali National Park, and now I get to go back again for the last week of this month. I am returning as the photo leader for Camp Denali’s annual fall photo seminar. The highlight this time of year is the autumn tundra colors, plus wildlife in its […]
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska…Image #2969
I just returned from a rainy week photographing Denali National Park and this image of a grizzly bear is one of my favorites. Folks often ask me just how patient one has to be in order to be a successful nature/wildlife photographer. This shoot is a great answer to that question. I spent six days in […]
Black Bears, Tracy Arm, Alaska – #2962
Tracy Arm is just great and I cannot stop singing its praises. If someone just had one day to visit Alaska I would send them to Tracy Arm. I shot this image of a mom and cub black bear on the same trip I shot the previous posting of the eagle on the iceberg. No […]
Sow and Cub, Glacier Bay National Park, AK-Image #2946
Bears, whales, glaciers, puffins, eagles, and more… Glacier Bay National Park has it all and that is why I keep going back as often as possible since my first ever visit in 1981. In the past three decades I have spent more than eight months total in the park. Glacier Bay has both a brown and a […]
Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska-Image #2925
A coastal brown bear lies down in a field of grasses and sedges right in front of the beach viewing spit at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island. Although you almost always see bears at Pack Creek, a good photo can be hard to come by. I always plan on an eight-hour day at the spit and am […]
Dandelion Bear, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2914
A black bear along the Auke Rec bypass here in Juneau, Alaska eats the succulent spring stems of the dandelion flower. Black bears are omnivores and spend much of the spring and summer and sometimes all summer just eating plants to sustain themselves. Lucky bears can fatten up on salmon when the fish return to […]
“Drizzly Bear” or “Reigning over the Tongass”, Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image #2913
Every year since 1944, the Missouri School of Journalism has recognized the best work in photojournalism through the Pictures of the Year International (POYi) contest. The contest is the oldest (72 years) and considered by many the most prestigious photojournalism program and competition in the world. This year, I took third place in the Science & […]
Sleeping Black Bear, Anan Creek, Tongass National Forest, Near Wrangell, Alaska …Image # 2890
I love to nap and have been accused of napping almost everywhere at any time. Yet, this plump black bear napping in a small spruce seems improbable even to me. He was snoring pretty loud and when he exhaled his lips flapped in the breeze. I have been to Anan Creek every year for the past seven years […]
Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska…Image # 2889
My three favorite places to photograph brown bears in Southeast Alaska are Glacier Bay National Park, Anan Creek near Wrangell, and Pack Creek on Admiralty Island near Juneau. I photographed this brown bear coming over a rise from the beach as it was heading toward the visitors at the sandy spit view point. A bear standing […]
Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska…Image # 2888
I call this image my “Polite Bear”. I was photographing brown bears from the sand spit overlooking Pack Creek. This four year old bear walked up, sat down about 15 feet (5 meters) away, folded its paws, stared at us, laid down, and started rolling around in the grass. How cool was that! I love […]
“Once Upon Alaska” 17th Spread…Image 2876
I shot this image of a bear at the spit viewing area at Pack Creek. I call this image the “Polite Bear”. After 40 plus years of being around people and being raised in a protected area that does not allow hunting, the bears have become accustomed to people in Pack Creek. The bears can […]
“Once Upon Alaska” 16th Spread…Image 2875
Unlike the larger brown/grizzly bears, black bears are agile climbers. The mothers often park their cubs high in trees where they are safe from large male bears. Their typically dark colors help them blend into the forest shadows. Though they are called black, these bears may be cinnamon colored, blue-gray, cream colored, or even white. […]
Alaska Magazine – The Bears of Anan – Image 2858
The February 2014 issue of Alaska Magazine features an eight-page photo layout of bear images I shot at Anan Wildlife Observatory, along with text by Nick Jans. I have been traveling to Anan Creek for the past five summers, spending as little as a day to sometimes a whole week at the time. Anan Creek […]
Glacier Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2045
A glacier bear is a genetic variation of a black bear. Its fur is not jet black but frosted with color variations running from reddish to pure silver. This bear is only found in Northern Southeast Alaska, with concentrations in Glacier Bay and Yakutat. I shot this photo using a Nikon F5 with a Nikor […]
Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2219
A brown bear (Ursus Arctos) eats spring sedges along the beach at Blue Mouse Cove at Glacier Bay National Park. This bear displays the grizzly’s characteristic shoulder hump, composed of muscle and fat, the round face, and long, curved claws. The brown bear’s fur ranges in color from blonde, red and mocha to black. This […]
Brown bear mom and cubs, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2221
A mom and two cub bears wander the road in Denali National Park. Wildlife viewing is great along the only road running through the park. I shot this photo from my open car window. The photo was taken on an Nikon F/5 camera body and a Nikor 300mm F/4.5 on Fuji Velvia slide film.-Mark Kelley
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2316
I shot this photo from my open car window on a drive though Denali National Park. The park road is a great place to view wildlife since so many of the critters use the road as a travel corridor. On this trip we saw bear, moose, caribou, ptarmigan and a fox. This photo appears on […]
Glacier Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2381
Glacier bears are black bears with a genetic variation that gives their fur the frosty sheen of ice and clouds. These bears are very rare and only live in the area of northern Southeast Alaska from Juneau to Yakutat. I have found the largest concentration of glacier bears in Glacier Bay National Park. This photo […]
Black Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2408
A black bear eats sedges along the tide line in Glacier Bear National Park. Coming out of hibernation, bears subsist on the grasses and sedges growing at tide line and the forest edge. I photographed this bear from a skiff. I am not very bear brave and prefer to photograph the bruins from a boat […]
Brown Bear, Admiralty Island – Image 2418
I photographed this brown bear while visiting my friends, Joe and Karey, at their wilderness lodge in Crab Cove, Funter Bay, Admiralty Island. I have an ongoing photo series on my friends wonderful lodge (see image numbers: 2301, 2302, 2303, 2304, 2305, 2306, 2307 and 2323). This photo illustrates the month of July in my […]
Black Bear by Governor’s Mansion, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2419
Black bears parade through Juneau on a fairly regular basis. I photographed this bear within two hundred feet of the Governor’s Mansion in downtown Juneau. Last summer, a sleeping exchange student was sun bathing in our neighbors yard and got nuzzled by a bear. Without opening his eyes the swedish student pushed away what he […]
Brown Bear Prints and Bald Eagle Feather – Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2505
I came across these brown bear prints at the high tide line of a sandy beach in Glacier Bay. Just out of the frame was this beautiful bald eagle feather. I moved the feather over about two feet and made this image. This image illustrates page 55 in my book on Glacier Bay National Park. […]
Black Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2515
I love photographing bears in the spring. I wait for an evening high tide and go to one of my favorite bear spots. I ride the tide into the sedges and can get fairly close to the bears. The bears do not get too upset when approached quietly in a small skiff. So consequently most […]
Black Bears of Mendenhall Glacier – Image 2573
OUT OF PRINT – Mark’s book featuring the eleven or so black bears that roam around Steep Creek at the Mendenhall Glacier. Once the salmon start running sometime in mid-July, thousands upon thousands of visiting tourists and locals alike will be face to face with these bears as they feed in the steam. Last years […]
Black Bear, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska – Image 2574
A very large black bear snatches a sockeye salmon out of Steep Creek at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Just 13 miles from downtown Juneau, Steep Creek offers one of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in Alaska. Over 10 bears eat and live along the banks of this small creek when the salmon runs arrive […]
Bear Belly, Black Bear, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska – Image 2575
Last weeks image featured this bear catching a red sockeye salmon. In this image this very large bear reclines on some willow bushes after finishing a sockeye salmon supper. While scratching her chest with one paw, she licks clean the other paw. Bears usually never display their bellies. It is a very vulnerable position and […]
Black Bears, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska – Image 2576
A mother black bear with her twin cubs stroll the banks of Steep Creek at the Mendenhall Glacier. Many people think black bears are black. But, in fact black bears come in all colors from white to grey to black to brown. This photo illustrates some of the color phases. The mother is two-toned with […]
Black Bears, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska – Image 2577
A lone black bear crosses Steep Creek. I shot this photo early in September which in Juneau means early autumn. What I love about this photo is the great light of the evening sun illuminating the grasses along the creek showing the first signs of autumn yellowing. But what sends this photo over the top […]
Black Bear, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska – Image 2578
Out on a limb: This first year bear scooted out on a spruce tree limb when its mother became alarmed by another approaching black bear and shooed it up the tree. I shot this photo with the lens totally racked out (equivalent of about a 600mm) and hand-held. Shot from a viewing platform, the vibrations […]
Brown Bears, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2581
I shot this image with my 500mm lens (equivalent of a 750mm) off the top deck of a Cruise West boat in May of 2007. I was on board as the leader of a week long photo cruise. The ship was passing by Gloomy Knob which is usually great for mountain goat shots in May. […]
Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2587
I shot this brown bear from my kayak in Blue Moose Cove in Glacier Bay National Park while shooting my book on the park. My assistant and friend, Brian, was paddling while I was shooting.This bear was coming for us down the beach. Brian assured me the bear would not jump in the water after […]
Bear Sculpture, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2619
R.T. “Skip” Wallen bronze bear sculpture in front of the Alaska state capital building is the locals and tourists’ favorite piece of public art in Juneau. A group of local citizens in Juneau is trying to line up money for his next project which will be a life-scale bronze sculpture of a breaching humpback whale […]
Fishing Bear, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska – Image 2631
My favorite time of the year for bear viewing is the month of August in Juneau at the Mendenhall Glacier. The salmon have arrived in Steep Creek and historically up to a dozen or so black bears are there to welcome the returning salmon. Black bears live all over the world, but the only place […]
Bear Belly, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska – Image 2632
The bear viewing along the 100 or so yards of raised boardwalks at the Mendehall Glacier boggles the mind and the view finder. I shot a book on the black bears at the Mendenhall Glacier in a months time essentially never leaving the boardwalks. I shot this photo with well over 100 other people on […]
Black Bear, Mt McGinnis, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2941
When I look for a cover for my calendars, I am looking for an image that shows the essence of Alaska. Rule one is the image has to have great light. Next the image has to show the essential elements that make Alaska special to me and the world: wilderness, wildlife, mountains and glaciers. One […]
Brown Bear Tagging, Chichagof Island, Alaska – Image 2651
For the first 15 years of my 30-plus years as a professional photographer, I worked as a newspaper photojournalist. I still love shooting photojournalism, but nature, wildlife and adventure photography are now paying the bills. While still working for the Juneau Empire (Juneau’s only daily newspaper),I shot this image of two Alaska Department of Fish […]
Black Bear, Steep Creek, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2681
As referenced in last week’s photo, I took the photo of this black bear gingerly carrying a salmon out of Steep Creek in the exact same spot as the photograph of the great blue heron. I had watched the bears over the summer and had noticed they regulary moved through this section of stream. I […]
Black Bear Cubs, Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2684
The Mendenhall Glacier area has a large population of black bears. Salmon start running up Steep Creek next to the visitors center in late July or early August. Once the salmon arrive in the stream, about 10 to 14 black bears come down from the hills to start feasting on the sockeye salmon. These two […]
Black Bear (Glacier Bear), Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2711
Alaska is famous for healthy bear populations and Glacier Bay National Park is no exception. The park features strong populations of both black and coast brown bears. One of the most unusual bears found only in Northern Southeast Alaska is what the locals call the “blue bear” or “glacier bear”. I have seen a couple […]
Coastal Brown Bears/ Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2712
This is one of my favorite brown bear images. These bears were hunting goats on Gloomy Knob. The sow had three cubs, but only two are shown in this photo. What I like about the photo is the monochromatic background of the grey rocks with the reddish brown bears standing in stark contrast. This is […]
Coastal brown bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2713
I photographed this brown bear from a double kayak while shooting the images for my Glacier Bay book. I had an assistant with me to paddle the boat while I attempted to photograph wildlife close-up. I found that paddling and photographing at the same time was a fool’s errand. It always seemed I should be […]
Coastal Brown Bear Prints, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2715
I have seen a lot of good images of bear tracks, but I had never taken one until I came across these tracks in the sand on a beach in Glacier Bay National Park. Besides the deep clear paw impressions, the eagle feather is a nice touch. Both the coastal brown bear and bald eagle […]
Black Bears, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2723
I love to photograph bears in the spring. The bears are eating the sedges in the tidal flats. Right after coming out of their winter dens, bears have a tough time finding food. These large animals survive the first months or so out of the den just on plant matter. The bears being out in […]
Black Bear Lounge, Anan Creek, Wrangell,Alaska – Image 2729
One of my new and most favorite spots in Southeast Alaska is Anan Creek. The US Forest Service has maintained a bear viewing platform and photography blind at Anan for years. I just visited Anan for the first time last year. I ended up going to this Anan twice last summer for a total of […]
Black Bears, Steep Creek, Alaska – Image 2735
A black bear mother leads her cubs along Steep Creek. By mid-August, sockeye salmon have swarmed up Steep Creek right next to the parking lots for the Mendenhall Glacier visitors center. With the arrival of the sockeye as many as 18 black bears move down to the stream to feast on the fish. With up […]
Brown Bear, Fortress of the Bears, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2759
Wednesday night (1-25-2012) Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) will be running a feature on Admiralty Island called “Fortress of the Bears” on “Nature”. Check your local listings for time. In support of this programming, I plan to post four weeks of brown bear images (first installment). Many people accuse me of never shooting in bad weather […]
Brown Bear, Fortress of the Bears, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2760
On Wednesday(1-25-2012) Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) ran a feature on Admiralty Island called “Fortress of the Bears” on “Nature”. Check out “Nature” online to see the program. In support of this programming, I plan to post four weeks of brown bears images (second installment). Brown bears come in a range of colors from creamy light […]
Brown Bear, Fortress of the Bears, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2761
On Wednesday(1-25-2012), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) ran a feature on Admiralty Island called “Fortress of the Bears” on “Nature”. Check out “Nature” online to see the program. In support of this programming, I plan to post four weeks of brown bears images (third installment). These brown bears look like they are fighting, but in reality […]
Brown Bear, Fortress of the Bears, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2762
On Wednesday(1-25-2012), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) ran a feature on Admiralty Island called “Fortress of the Bears” on “Nature”. Check out “Nature” online to see the program. In support of this programming, I plan to display four weeks of brown bears images (final installment). Brown bear twin cubs stand up in the tall grass trying […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image 2763
I am continuing with bear photos for the next six weeks. On March 14, I will being doing an Alaska Wildlife Alliance SE “Wildlife Wednesday” presentation with Jay and Jayleen Beedle starting at 7pm in the UAS Egan Lecture Hall. I will be showing bear images. Here, a black bear tries to fish the raging […]
Coastal Brown Bear, Bald Eagle, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image 2764
I am continuing with bear photos for the next four weeks. On March 14, I will being doing an Alaska Wildlife Alliance “Wildlife Wednesday” presentation with Jay and Jayleen Beedle starting at 7pm in the UAS Egan Lecture Hall. I will be showing bear images. Here, a coastal brown bear fishes Anan Creek surrounded by […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image 2765
I am continuing with bear photos for the next three weeks. On March 14, I will being doing an Alaska Wildlife Alliance SE “Wildlife Wednesday” presentation with Jay and Jayleen Beedle starting at 7pm in the UAS Egan Lecture Hall. I will be showing bear images. Here, a black bear strips the skin of a […]
Black Bear, Pink Salmon, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image 2766
I am continuing with bear photos for the next two weeks. Today, I will being doing an Alaska Wildlife Alliance SE “Wildlife Wednesday” presentation with Jay and Jayleen Beedle starting at 7pm in the UAS Egan Lecture Hall. I will be showing bear images. Here, a black bear poses with its freshly caught pink salmon […]
Black Bear, Pink Salmon, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image 2767
I am continuing with bear photos for the next week. Here, a black bear squats on a rock and enjoys its pink salmon meal. What works in this photo for me is the anthropomorphizing of this animal. This bear has the look of someone taking a break from a really satisfying meal that we all […]
Black Bear, Pink Salmon, Anan Creek, Alaska. – Image 2768
This image is the last installment on my Anan Creek bear photos. Here, a black bear grabs a pink salmon out of Anan Creek, spins up around and heads up out of the creek into the forest to eats its meal. After catching their salmon creekside, many bears head deep into the forest to eat […]
Coastal Brown Bear, Stan Price Wildlife Sanctuary, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2784
Many people who know me, know that I do not usually photograph in the rain. Since I live in one of the more rainy places in Alaska, every once in a while I have to brave the wet and shoot. For this image, I was at the Stan Price Wildlife Sanctuary on Admiralty Island waiting […]
Coastal brown bears, Stan Price Wildlife Sanctuary, Admiralty Island – Image 2788
This is one of my favorite photos of the year. I shot this image of this pair of two-year-old juvenile brown bears at Pack Creek in August 2011. It looks like they might be fighting but in actuality they are playing. They wrestled and boxed on and off for a good ten minutes. It was […]
Black bears, Steep Creek, Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, Alaska – Image 2791
These three black bears roam the bear trail along Steep Creek at the Mendenhall Glacier. The sockeye salmon usually show up in the creek between the third week of July and first week of August. This shot is of the bear that the locals refer to as “Nicky” with her two cubs. Over the years […]
“Bear Salad”, Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2814
Join me Sunday, 2-17-2013, at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center for a repeat of my fireside chat on “Juneau’s Backyard: Wales, Bears and Wilderness” for two shows starting at 4:30pm and 6pm.During the next five weeks, I will feature images of brown bears photographed at Pack Creek last summer. In this image, a third season […]
“Stare Down”, Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2815
At Pack Creek, bears and birds have a symbiotic relationship. The bears catch the spawning salmon, drag the fish to the shore to eat, and leave the scraps for the birds mostly ravens and gulls to scavenge on. Also, the activity of the bears charging up and down the creek catching salmon stirs up the […]
“Stick Bear”, Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2816
I have seen plenty of stick dogs, but never until last summer did I think I would find a stick bear. I just love hanging out around bears. The more time I spend with them the more endearing they become. They are smart, curious, playful and sometimes down right goofy. This bear grabbed a stick […]
Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2817
I shot this image of a bear laying down twenty feet or less from where I was standing at the spit viewing area at Pack Creek. The bears are totally wild. After 40 plus years of being around people and being raised in a protected area that does not allow hunting, the bears have become […]
Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska – Image 2818
Again, I shot this image of roughhousing bears about 20 feet outside the imaginary perimeter around the spit viewing area at Pack Creek. These are juvenile (third season) bears from different moms that have paired up to wrestle, box, and horse around. This pair has been playing like this for the past two summers. But, […]
“Hanging Out”, Black Bear Cubs, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image 2832
This spruce tree is probably the single most photographed tree in all of Alaska. It is a favorite hang out for bear cubs at Anan Creek. Being very close to the viewing platform, its comfortable branches provide an unbelievable viewing opportunity. The Anan Creek area has a black bear population of some 40 to 50 […]
Brown Bear, Pack Creek, Admiralty, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2840
A brown bear at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island walks through a field of flowering yarrow. The best time to visit the bears at Pack Creek is the last week of July through mid-August. There are always bears in the area, but they gather en masse around the creek when the salmon starting running. Admiralty […]
Anan Creek, Wrangell, Alaska – Image 2734
The bears at Anan Creek fish from the cracks and crevasses created by boulders at the base of the falls. They stand in the mouth of the caves catching fish and then retreat inside the boulder patch to eat their catch. Then, they reappear and start the process over and over and over again–all day […]