It’s amazing how we have come to take for granted that we will be connected to the world via the internet. Two years ago we did not have access to the internet at the wilderness lodge I visit to photograph bears each year. This year I took it for granted until it went down. Suddenly, I had no access to the outside world…no phone, no internet, no way of communicating or blogging. What a strange feeling it was. From the lodge, I went to Brooks Falls (photos to come in the next post) where I knew I would not have internet. Ten days have passed and I finally have internet once again. And with it a flood of emails to attend to. I didn’t have an opportunity to do my final blog from the lodge so here is a recap of the last few days…

We revisited the oystercatchers to see how they were doing. They were all alive and growing quickly. From golf ball size a few days previously, they had more than doubled in size and their bills were beginning to take on the signature reddish color. Now they would go down to the water’s edge to forage for their own food rather than having mom and dad bring it to them. I wish I could document their progress all summer.

We had another amazing opportunity with whales as they were breaching all around us. The challenge was to be looking in the right direction at the right time as they would dive and reappear in a totally different spot. A couple times they spouted right next to the boat. Moments like these are forever etched in my heart and brain with the photos to go along with them.

We visited an eagles nest that required a climb up a steep hill where we could look over and catch a glimpse of the babies. They had just eaten a fish and their crops were so full they could hardly move around. Oblivious to our presence, we were able to photograph them for a short time.

An adult eagle was perched in a tree nearby calling to it’s mate. The backdrop of mountains made for a stunning photo.

Of course, we had many more experiences with the bears, observing their behavior and interaction with each other. I simply can’t get enough of these gentle giants.

The two weeks in Katmai have passed too quickly. It is time to move on to the next leg of my Alaskan Adventure. I have grown to love this wild and wonderful place and look forward to next year. Many who have joined me have fallen in love with the bears of Katmai as well and I look forward to new adventures with you in addition to sharing this magical place with new folks. For more information on joining me next year visit my website for availability. This final parting photograph as we headed down the bay to the lodge is three frames of a five frame bracket handheld from the moving boat and processed using Photomatic Pro 3.0 to create an HDR image.