Great Bear Stakeout

[Mumsysailor]

Watching a fantastic documentary on the BBC in the UK at the moment. It's about grizzly bears in Alaska. I hope I get to see some sights like this but perhaps just not quite so close !! :eek::eek:

 

Anyone else watching? What do you think?

 

Mumsy.

[greatam]

Watching a fantastic documentary on the BBC in the UK at the moment. It's about grizzly bears in Alaska. I hope I get to see some sights like this but perhaps just not quite so close !! :eek::eek:

 

Anyone else watching? What do you think?

 

Mumsy.

 

The majority of grizzly bear documentaries are shot in the Katmai. FAR from any cruise port unless you just happen to be on the Silversea cruise that stops in Homer in a couple of weeks.

 

The bears in the Katmai are HIGHLY concentrated and you can generally see them from June-October pretty easily. The bears other places are totally dependent on the fish season other than the bears in Denali. And while sometimes you get a close up of a bear in Denali, more times than not, they are seen as small dots off in the distance or with binoculars.

 

Please don't be disappointed if you don't see a lot of bears unless you take a VERY specific shore excursion to one of the "bear viewing" sights which again, are totally dependent on the fish season. The chances of seeing what you are seeing on a documentary are very slim from a cruise ship.

 

Wildlife photographers spend weeks in places like Hallo Bay, Brooks and Redoubt Bay to shoot their documentaries. Hallo Bay has provided services for National Geographic, BBC, Animal Planet and various other documentary film makers as well as world class still life photographers. I have been there when a couple of world class photographers from South Africa have been there also. One of the guys had already been there for 4 weeks and would be there for 6 weeks total. You can read about the premier bear viewing operation in Alaska here: http://www.hallobay.com/about-hallo-bay/

[mollymoo12]

Loving the programme too and the amazing scenery. I will be happy if I see one bear but would love to see a cub.

 

Wasn't it sad when the cub drowned though.

[Mumsysailor]

Loving the programme too and the amazing scenery. I will be happy if I see one bear but would love to see a cub.

 

Wasn't it sad when the cub drowned though.

 

I agree but that's nature I suppose. Just watching the second episode now. I'd certainly be happy just to see one bear in the wild. I'm observing how the experts deal with close encounters, staying calm and talking gently. Impressive.

 

Mumsy.

[Wellard]

I saw last nights episode. Truly wonderful viewing. Lets hope I see bears at the Anan viewing platform in the first week of July.

 

 

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[sisterSunshine]

While traveling on NCL's Star through the Inside Passage in June 2010, the ship's PA system announced that there were two grizzlies on the shoreline Port side. We were so excited and grateful to the ship's captain for giving us that rare opportunity to view those majestic animals.