That morning, the rain was almost torrential.
For much of the morning, it felt like the kind of weather that might keep everything quiet. Sheets of rain, low cloud, and very little movement.
And then it began to ease.
As it slowed, the bears started coming out.
One after another.
Before long, there were 21 bears within view, which is not uncommon in Katmai in June. That’s one of the things that makes this place so special. The density of bears here, combined with the open landscape, gives us the chance to watch all kinds of natural behaviour unfold at once.
These two were young males and likely siblings. My best guess would be somewhere around 2.5 to 3.5 years old — old enough to be independent, but still very much at that age where play is an important part of learning.
And that’s exactly what this was.
Not real fighting.
Playfighting.
This is how young bears test each other, build strength, work on balance and timing, and learn boundaries. There can be open mouths, swipes, pushing, biting and wrestling, but when you watch closely, there’s a rhythm to it. It’s controlled. Back and forth. More practice than conflict.
After that kind of rain, when the weather finally lets up, it can feel as though the whole landscape wakes up at once. That’s what happened here. The bears started moving, interacting, and these two quickly turned that burst of energy into a sparring match.
Moments like this are a big part of what makes June on the Katmai coast so extraordinary.
There can be bears everywhere you look. Cubs, subadults, big adults, families, and young bears are constantly interacting. It’s one of the best times to photograph not just bears, but behaviour.
This is exactly the kind of experience we look for during my Ultimate Brown Bear Workshop.
Eight days. All-inclusive from Kodiak, Alaska. We begin with a spectacular floatplane flight along the majestic Katmai coast from Kodiak, AK, land in bear country, have lunch, and are out photographing bears that same afternoon. From there, it’s full days in the field until our final morning shoot before flying out on day eight.
If you’ve ever wanted to photograph wild brown bears in a place where moments like this are part of daily life, I’d love to have you join me.
📅 June 12–19
📍 Katmai Coast, Alaska (All-inclusive from Kodiak, Alaska; excludes gratuities and personal expenses)
👉 Join me here:
https://www.chrisdoddsphoto.com/bear-boat-coastal-brown-bears-of-alaska
