Alaska Brown Bear Photography Tour

Itinerary

Sunday, August 21 (D)

Meet the group in Anchorage, Alaska. Group welcome dinner. Overnight Crowne Plaza Anchorage Midtown

Monday, August 22 (B, L, D)

Mid-morning departure to lodge by charter plane. The flight is one hour with a beach landing during low tide. We’ll be greeted by the lodge staff in ATV’s with trailers, a.k.a. the chariots of the north. After we get settled into the lodge and have lunch, we’ll venture out for our first photo opportunities with the bears.

Tuesday, August 23 – Saturday, August 27 (B, L, D)

Five full days of bear viewing. Each day after a hearty breakfast, we travel by foot hiking together or hop on an ATV with a trailer to locate the bears that are often near the lodge. These unstressed bears usually appear to be somewhat uninterested and rarely pay attention to our presence. The landscape is vast and wild, providing beautiful backdrops for images. We may also be fortunate enough to photograph puffins, kittiwakes, bald eagles or fox.

There are no crowds of people or limit to the amount of time we can photograph the bears. Usually the only determining factors are light and weather conditions. August is the perfect time of year to photograph the big male bears chasing salmon through the rivers. We will regularly see mom with cubs, however, they keep their distance from the individual males. Nothing will prepare you for the feeling you will receive when you encounter these magnificent bears just yards away…

We call Alaskan Brown Bears “fat and happy bears”. They feast on salmon and clams and do not struggle like other bears who need to forage for berries, roots and tubers. They learn to live in close proximity of each other and usually do not see people as a threat or as a meal…

Fishing between photo excursions is possible. Each guest can have their salmon cleaned and packaged to take home with them.

Dan will be there for anyone who has questions about camera settings, exposures or learning digital – anything photography. We’ll return to the lodge for lunch and have some time to download digital cards or take a rest. We’ll return to the field to photograph in the late afternoon. A great dinner will be awaiting when we return – perhaps some fresh salmon or halibut. We finish the days with a good night’s sleep.

Sunday, August 28 (B)

Today we’ll return to Anchorage by charter plane, departing around 10:00am. We’ll have a group day room available at the Crowne Plaza Anchorage Midtown if you wish to fly directly home today. Many flights leave hourly from Anchorage, including late evening flights to the lower 48. We suggest a late day departure in case of any bad weather delays during the charter flight.