PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES:

Once you arrive in Katmai National Park your photo opportunities are endless. Look for Stellar sea lions, porpoise, whales, fox dens and bird rookeries. The Katmai Coast is home to hundreds of migratory birds such as horned and tufted puffins, cormorants, murres and kittiwakes. Photograph eagles and nesting eaglets. Watch in amazement as the ebbing tides expose miles of rich intertidal areas, second in world productivity to our precious rain forests. These inter-tidal zones are rich in clams, an important food source for the bears while they wait for the salmon returns. View numerous rivers and creeks carving their way down from glaciers and snow-capped mountains. Although bears in the wilderness are the reason many photographers take our tour, there are many other wild animals we shall likely encounter, depending upon the length of your trip. We can visit a rookery of Stellar Sea Lions. We may see salmon, porpoise, seals, sea and land otters, and foxes with kitts. Several islands are summer homes for Horned and Tufted Puffins, Oyster Catchers and chicks, Gulls, Eagles and Eaglets, Loons, and many other bird species. If we are lucky, we may even come across a pod of whales visiting the Shelikof Strait. The breath taking landscapes in this wilderness unspoiled by man are reason enough to visit Katmai.

MEALS:

In the land of the "midnight sun" darkness is rare, leaving hours for you to play and work up an appetite. Our chef provides three gourmet meals each day which include the finest Alaskan ingredients, like fresh Alaskan seafood, with halibut and salmon highlighting many of the dinners.

TRANSPORTATION:

To begin your Alaskan adventure, take a 60 minute seaplane ride on to the M/V Ursus anchored in a protected bay along the Shelikof Strait. The Ursus, a sturdy 100' seaworthy vessel, will be your floating lodge as you cruise the Katmai coastline. Skiffs will take tour members ashore frequently, giving you opportunities to photograph up close the earth's largest land carnivore, Coastal Brown Bears. Because hunting is prohibited and the nearest roadway is more than 150 miles away, Katmai National Park has the world's highest concentration of brown bears per square mile. The bears are often completely uninhibited by the presence of human visitors. In contrast with shore based operations we have mobility and a minimal impact on the environment.

YOUR GUIDES & CREW:

Accompanying you aboard the Ursus is an experienced Alaskan crew. The crew consists of U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain and mate to ensure your safety on the water and a naturalist/guide to accompany you on your shore visits. Last but not least is your chef.

A Partial List of Past Naturalists/Guides/Biologists: Will Troyer, Lynn Rogers, Steve Kaufman, Dale Chorman, Conrad and Carmen Field, Perry Conway, Jack Lentfer, Steve Stringham, Buck Wilde, Brad Joseph, Jim Halfpenny, Matthias Breiter, Mark Newman and Chris Morgan     

Tour Information Articles:
[ Values of Bear-Watching along the Katmai Coast ] [ Observing Grizzlies ] [ Bear Watching ] [ Living on the Boat ] [ Coming into Bear Country ]

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