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 platform managed by the US Forest Service. All the visitors are confined to this platform and I literally stood just fifteen feet from the large black bear male with its salmon catch when I took this incredibly intimate image. I took this photo last year while hosting six photographers on a photo adventure in Wrangell, Alaska. We photographed bears at Anan Creek, humpback whales in the Inside Passage, and the LeConte Glacier. I am offering the exact same trip again in 2020, from August 3-9, and two spots remain on the trip. Come join me and get close to bears. Please visit my page or contact me for more information at photos@markkelley.com – Camera: #Nikon #D850, Lens: #Nikkor 80-400mm, Digital Capture ©Mark Kelley