Regarding your Alaskan cruise and photographing brown bear catching salmon. If you are going in August try to get on a ship that docks in Skagway, Alaska for at least one day. From Skagway you can take a water taxi (30 minutes) to Haines, Alaska. Brown bear catch and eat salmon along the Chilkoot river during the months of July, August, and September. I have photographed as many as 8 brown bear at a time. To have the best chance at success book a land excursion with Chilkat Cruises and Tours. They will pick you up in Skagway and take you by high speed catamaran to Haines. There you will be taken by bus to the Chilkoot River in hopes of photographing brown bears. Keep in mind that the bears feed on their own schedule so you may or may not be lucky enough to observe several bears. The only other assured option is to to to Katmai (Brooks River). Bear viewing peaks in July; however, bears are feeding into September on salmon. There are no cruise lines that go near Katmai, it is a fly in destination. Good luck. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
I had trip Alaska for 3 weeks in June 2001. I had been see lot Mooses, caribou and Mtn sheeps on highway, if you rent car from Anchorage drive to GlennAllen, it best scenes and find wildlife. If you want go Denali Park then take bus tour all day, you can see Grizzly or golden bear or brown bear and others. Well for Alaska Cruise, if you're on Passenage in like Vancouver to Skywage (?) then I had no idea. If Cruise to Seward, AK then take Alaska Railroad trip to Denali Park, nice scenes and relax even see Hurricane Glutch.
good luck for decide whatever u wish plan to do?
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
racefan21--I think somebody already got that shot.
And I just heard this advice: Should you run if you're confronted by a grizzly bear? Yes! It will give you something to do for the last 12 seconds of your life.
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
I worked as Tour Assistant on Radisson Sevenseas Mariner.
If you go to Ketchikan you want to get a floatplane trip to Neats Bay. Bears all around catching salmon for their eggs. They rip the fish open to eat the eggs and discard the flesh which can be a bit smelly, though does attract gulls for additional nature elements in your shots. Don't be surprised if the guide tells you to freeze as a bear walks across your path. You should also take some mosquito repellant as it seems everything wants to feed up there.
These tours book up really fast despite there being no guarantee the bears will be there. End of cruise season is best to see them. Also be prepared for canceled flights due to rain.
Misty Fjords seaplanes go up there and I think its a $350 tour (a few years since I was in the job). The local information office (large hut on the boardwalk jetty) can hook you up with a $15 tour by vehicle to where the old dump used to be, popular with scavanging bear. Its not a thing Sevenseas would promote as you get a rough old vehicle and similar driver, but thats all part of the Alaskan experience.
Haines is also a good place to see bear by boat, though a lot of guests complained about it being such a long day with few amenities. Please do the Sea Otter & Wildlife tour by boat in Sitka. Its guaranteed whale, sea otters, sealions...and its a cheap tour.
A walk up the track to Mount Roberts in Juneau gets reported spottings of bear now and again. You can take cablecar up and walk down.
If you are going September time, take tour to Yukon Valley by bus from Skagway just in time to catch leaves changing colour. No bear on that tour though and the meal is very poor.
Hope that helps,
Enjoy your cruise and be nice to the ship photogs. I worked as tour assistant for a year for change of scene but was Chief Photog on 15 different ships in 12 years. If you dont want a photo taking of yourself on the cruise just be polite and say no thanks. Better still just smile, have it taken, and carry on your day with a smile. Theres no purchase obligation.
Carl. :-)
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
When you stop in Juneau you can take a glacier bus for about $5-$6 dollars one way to the mendenhall glacier. There are a couple viewing platforms over a river that you can (if your lucky) see bears chasing salmon. Mostly black bears. Better first thing in the morning, if you're there that early. Just about that time (August) the silver salmon should still be running.
Another very popular place to see bears is downtown Juneau. In the early morning or at night the black bears come down from the woods and roam the streets looking for an unsuspecting gabage can or a dumpster to pounce. Not kidding.
Haines is a sure fire place to see bears as well, the only thing is the cruise is not likly to go there. Easy to get to though. As someone posted, you can take a fast ferry over and go to the Chilcoot river which is right next to the road.
Lots of bears and fish and fisherman. Long lens helps. Photogrpahers line the river with 300-500mm lenses with extenders.
Have fun. Shoot fast.
--David J Sheakley
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
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