One thing I have learned while on a wilderness adventure is to harness expectations and just wait and see how things unfold. This is especially true of wildlife viewing.

On the 2019 Bering Sea expedition, we stopped at Geographic Harbor in the heart of Katmai National Park (on the Alaska Peninsula). The ship’s naturalists seemed so sure of their ability to deliver...and they did! In just a couple of hours on a clear, calm, blue sky day, we were able to witness the lives of lots of Alaska brown bears. After all, Katmai boasts the world’s largest population of protected brown bears.

Our first sighting was of a single bear digging for clams at the end of an inlet. We were maybe 200 yards away, but it was nonetheless impressive to witness a bear doing its bear thing right in front of us.

Then we motored in our 10-person Zodiac to a small cove with stunning kelp/seaweed backdrops. There, we encountered what looked like 2-year old siblings digging for clams, play wrestling, cooling off in the water, and eventually wandering off under a nearby cliff and across a large boulder field. We lingered, mesmerized, for maybe 45 minutes. During that time, several Zodiac groups were in close proximity to the bears, who were not bothered as they swiped deep holes in the waterside gravel with their immense paws. We could hear them breathe, and scratch, and blow bubbles when their snouts were underwater. We could hear the crunch of harvested clams in their jaws.

Wow. Wow!

Nearly out of time but not eager to have the magic end, we headed across the bay. I sighted a bear resting on top of a spit. When we rounded the corner, we could see that this large mama bear was hanging out, watching her months-old cub dig for clams in the gravel by the water’s edge.

We departed reluctantly, late, and headed back for the ship. Then we saw another bear swimming across the wide channel! A swimming bear? Really?! Motor idled, we watched him swim to shore and haul his heavy, water-laden body out onto the beach.

Another very large male was sighted shortly after that, walking along the beach and looking ever so much like king of the realm. (Brown bear males typically weigh about 1,000 pounds.)

As we arrived at the ship we noted that passengers onboard were glued to their binoculars. They had spotted a mother bear and two cubs browsing the nearby beach. That afternoon, while kayaking, my friend and I had a private bear spotting, one that we saw again later when it swam across our path during another Zodiac cruise. When the time came to return from kayaking, we joined those at the launching area for another special bear moment nearby; as that bear climbed the hillside behind where kayaks were staged (a bit unnervingly close by!). This bear was beautifully framed by summer flowers.

What a day!

For more about our expedition hosts: nationalgeographic.com/expeditions