Reprocessed, selected, and recompiled in September 2008,
this is an extensive portfolio presentation of some of the wildlife
from the Lake Clark National Park area of Cook Inlet, Alaska.

I have used quite a number of images that have never been posted
along with several from the earlier version of this page, and some from
the Bears page, Wildlife Studies Section. The Bears page has images and
composites that I have not chosen to place here though, so you may want to visit
there later if you are interested (Alaskan Brown Bears and Yellowstone Black Bears).

click an image to open a larger version
Use your back button to return to this page
(Composites will open in a new window)

Images on this page are in two different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Collection can be selected.

The Bear images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links)

Brown Bear Fishing and Scenic
Brown Bear Golden Female and Cubs
 

Air Madura X4221

The only way into the area is by boat or plane,
so we piled our gear and ourselves into this
Air Madura deHavilland bush plane for the
flight, which culminated in a hair-raising
‘short-field’ landing in a tiny lily pond.

Silver Salmon Creek Lodge HS2826

Silver Salmon Creek Lodge was base
of operations while we were visiting in the
Lake Clark National Park area. It operates
from a home, offering meals, guide services,
computers/readers, and rooms for 12 people.

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
 

Alaskan Brown Bear X2900

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears are among the largest subspecies of Brown Bear,
along with the bears occupying Kodiak Island, not far south of Lake Clark National Park.
 

Grizzly Morning HS2278

A bear crosses the sedge grass meadow
towards the creek just as the sun comes up.
 

Sedge Grass HS2807

The bears feast on berries and sedge grass
for a month or so until the salmon start running.
 

Grizzly Fireweed HS2748

A bear crosses a meadow
with Fireweed in the background.
 

Grizzly Closeup on Bank X3741

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears can grow to
8 feet tall when standing and over 1000 pounds.
 

Grizzly Stump X3585

A young adult male pauses by a downed tree before rubbing up against it.
 

Grizzly Old Scarred Male X3676
 

Grizzly Old Scarred Male X3675
 

Grizzly Meadow X2862

An adult male in his prime crosses a meadow,
heading for Silver Salmon Creek to fish...

This was a really large bear, maybe 7.5 feet tall.
 

Grizzly Male Crossing Creek X2864

I’ve gotten comments on the green color
of the dirt in this series. Notice the algae...
 

Grizzly Male Crossing Creek X2867

Check the 6” claws on this fellow in these images.
 

Grizzly Male Crossing Creek X2868
 

Grizzly Male X2873

He finds a good spot to fish, and provides me with an opportunity to shoot a standing bear.
 

Grizzly Boar X2889
 

Grizzly Boar X2890
 

Grizzly Reflection HS2760

A female crossed the creek right in front of me
and proceeded to climb the bank directly towards
my position. A superb opportunity to get this shot...
 

Grizzly Female
Climbing the Bank HS2765

However, if she had turned left instead of right
from here, I may have had a major problem.
 

Grizzly Female X2799

Our first look at the Golden female with cubs
that will be shown in many images below.
 

Grizzly Cub Climbing Bank X2795
 

Grizzly Female X3232
 

Grizzly Female X3234
 

Grizzly Cub X3240
 

Grizzly Cub X3139
 

Grizzly Cub Closeup X3227

This is the more timid of the two cubs, but you wouldn’t know it from this as he was walking
on the opposite side of the creek from mama and his brother, and walked directly at me,
which placed me between him and mama. Not good... but mom didn’t seem to react.

This shot was taken about 20 feet from the cub.
 

Grizzly Female w Cub X3245

Mom keeping an eye on the cub while his
brother checks what’s ahead in the meadow.
 

Grizzly Female and cub HS2306
 

Grizzly Cubs Playing X2831

The cubs wrestle. Timid cub on the left.
He seemed to hold his own all right here.

(see the full sequence of shots below)
 

Grizzly Cubs Playing X2836
 

Grizzly Cubs Play-Fighting SXXL

click for 1849 x 1076 version

Available as an SXXL Signed Composite (6575 x 3825)

Images on this page are in two different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Collection can be selected.

The Bear images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links)

Brown Bear Fishing and Scenic
Brown Bear Golden Female and Cubs
 

Grizzly Mom and Cubs X2849

Fishing for Salmon
 

Grizzly Female Fishing HS2905
 

Grizzly Female Pounce HS3041
 

Grizzly Female Fishing HS3042

The Silver Salmon (the bear’s favorite food)
were just starting their run in the creek.
 

Grizzly Female with Leaf HS3054

“I went to Silver Salmon Creek to fish,
and all I got was this darned leaf!”
 

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
Chasing Fish in Silver Salmon Creek XXXL
AKA
“Grizzly Fishing XXXL”

click for 1502 x 720 version

Available as an XXXL Standard Composite (12100 x 5800)
also available as a XXXL Framed Composite (14318 x 7778)

click for 1491 x 810 version

There are several subsets of this series.
One can be seen below, and another version
is on the Wildlife Studies, Bears page

Grizzly Female Fishing for Salmon XXL

click for 2417 x 421 version

Available as an XXL Signed Composite (7325 x 1275)
 

Grizzly Male Fishing X3012
 

Grizzly Male Fishing X3015
 

Grizzly Male Fishing X3025
 

Grizzly Male Fishing X3943

A dramatic moment, catching a fish.
 

Grizzly Fishing at Dusk X3602

Summertime in Southern Alaska may not be the Land of the Midnight Sun, but it’s not far away.
It’s actually 10PM, and the sun went down about 20 minutes ago. There is still quite a bit of light.
 

Grizzly Fishing at Dusk X3611
 

Grizzly Fishing at Dusk X3618
 

Alaskan Midnight HS2774

This shot was taken at 11:35PM, and you can see there is a fair amount of light.
For those in the know, this was taken at ISO 400, 1/80 sec. at f/2 (200mm).
Not bright by any means, but considering how close it is to midnight...
 

Grizzly Shakeoff X4021

Once the bears do catch a fish, just like a dog, the first order of business is to shake off
all of the water matting down their fur (while standing on the fish to ensure it doesn’t get away).
 

Grizzly Shakeoff XXL

click for 936 x 1209 version

Available as an XXL Signed Composite (4295 x 5550)
 

Grizzly Female Fishing X3075

Mom heads up the creek as the sun lowers in the sky (9PM), giving me really sweet light.
 

Alaskan Brown Bear Salmon Fishing XXL

click for 2106 x 495 version

Available as an XXL Signed Composite (6383 x 1500)
 

Grizzly Female Fishing X3095
 

Grizzly Female Mud Galloping X3131

Maybe she’ll have better luck down the creek...
 

Grizzly Female Fishing X3153

Nothing yet...
 

Grizzly Female Fishing X3168

AHA! There’s a fish (bump in water, lower left).
 

Grizzly Female Fishing X3175

She seems to be embarrassed to have missed catching that fish. Time to check on the cubs.

Teaching the Cubs to Fish
 

Grizzly Cub Watching Mom X3180

All this time, the timid cub has been
watching Mom, picking up technique.
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cub X3149

He’s either been sitting on the bank,
or right at the edge getting instruction.
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cub X3184

Mom waits with him for the adventurous cub...
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs X3185

As soon as he shows up, she’s off for the creek.
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs X3191

Stand down-river so the fish come by you...
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cub X3192

then, when you see a fish...

Pounce!
 

Grizzly Cub Looking for Salmon X3194

The cub dutifully tries to spot fish as they pass by on their way back to sea...
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs X3195

“Sometimes, you have to go in the river”.
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs X3196

She proceeds to show him how to
run down a fish in it’s own environment.
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs X3197

Hmmm... no fish.
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs X3199

“Now, what’s that other cub gotten into?”
 

Grizzly Cub Activities SXL

click to open a 1395 x 1200 version.

Available as an XL Composite (2505 x 2155)
Also available as a XXL Composite (5010 x 4300)

This little fellow, the more adventurous of the cubs, has been on the other side
of the creek by himself while Mom was teaching his brother. He has spent his time
doing a little Yoga, whispering secrets, and determining the tensile strength of sticks.
 

Grizzly Female Fishing X3201
 

Alaskan Golden Grizzly Female X3205
 

Alaskan Golden Grizzly Female X3206
 

Alaskan Golden Grizzly Female X3208

Time to get the cubs and head further upstream.
 

Grizzly Female Fishing X3212
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs XXXL

click for 1268 x 1157 version

Available as an XXXL Signed Composite (9698 x 8850)
 

Grizzly Female Teaching Cubs XXXL Framed

click for 1545 x 1395 version

Available as an XXXL Framed Composite (11818 x 10676)

(This composite makes enormous prints... depending on media up to 100” wide)

Standard Composite images are available framed like the one above.
Many are already available, and any Composite can be framed to order.
If you would like to see those that are already available, click the link below:

Framed Composites Portfolios

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear XXL

click for 1289 x 1245 version

Available as an XXL Signed Composite (4295 x 4150)

Images on this page are in two different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Collection can be selected.

The Bear images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links)

Brown Bear Fishing and Scenic
Brown Bear Golden Female and Cubs

click the image above to continue on for Eagles, Puffins, and other wildlife.