Coastal Brown Bears Fighting in Katmai Alaska | Ultimate Brown Bear Photography Workshop

There is nothing quite like the adrenaline of being close to two coastal brown bears when they start to get rowdy.

We had been observing their behaviour from a safe distance and weren’t taking many photos at first because they were pointed away from us. Then everything changed. As they shifted and moved closer, their energy escalated — bringing the action right into range.

What looked intense never became dangerous. No injuries — just natural play fighting and strength testing. They stayed mostly within a small ditch, which helped contain the interaction but also hid much of it from view. We were ecstatic when everything lined up, and they engaged parallel to us, giving everyone the images they had been hoping for.

Moments like this aren’t rare in early June on the Katmai coast — but they’re never guaranteed. That’s the reality of working with truly wild animals, and part of what makes experiences like this so rewarding when it all comes together.

If this is the kind of behaviour you’ve been hoping to photograph, my June Ultimate Brown Bear workshop is timed specifically for it — before the sedge grass grows tall, when visibility is still excellent and interactions like this are at their peak.

👉 Details and availability:
https://www.chrisdoddsphoto.com/bear-boat-coastal-brown-bears-of-alaska

Photograph Coastal Brown Bears in Peak Behaviour — Join My June Katmai Workshop

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Photograph Coastal Brown Bears in Peak Behaviour — Join My June Katmai Workshop 🐻

Old Man of the Sea — Grizzled Sea Otter Portrait | Katmai Coast Alaska Wildlife Photography

There’s no mistaking an older sea otter when you see one.

This individual caught my attention immediately — that pale, weathered face rising out of calm water, front paws tucked in, completely at ease.

This isn’t albinism. What you’re seeing is age.

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) often develop what’s known as “grizzling” — a gradual lightening of the fur as pigment fades over time. It typically starts on the head and can spread into the neck and chest. Some individuals, like this one, become almost entirely pale through the face, giving them a very distinctive look.

We photographed this otter along the Katmai Coast during my June Ultimate Brown Bears of Alaska workshop. While most people come for the bears, the strength of this trip is really the ecosystem as a whole. On any given day, you can move from photographing coastal brown bears to moments like this — quiet water, soft light, and a subject that simply lets you in.

Life for a sea otter here isn’t easy. Predation by killer whales has impacted some populations, and in rare cases, coastal brown bears have been known to take otters. Even in a place that feels calm, survival is never guaranteed.

From a photographic standpoint, this is exactly what I look for. Clean, uncluttered, and intimate. Shooting at water level removes everything but the subject.