Polar Bears in Action

A look back at some incredible moments watching a sow and her twin cubs enjoying a leisurely walk in the snow.  So cute!!!  If the video does not appear, visit my youtube channel to view.

Last Day in Alaska

Spent the last day in Alaska around Girdwood and Whittier.  Hiked up to Portage Pass for an amazing view of Portage Glacier.  Greeted by clear skies on way back into Anchorage and could see the impressive Mt McKinley far in the distance.  A perfect ending to an amazing adventure!

Kenai Peninsula

Spent the last few days in the Kenai Peninsula touring some of the harbor towns and enjoying the amazing mountain scenery.  Seen lots of Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans.

Mountains and Moose

Finally made it off Barter Island late yesterday.  On the flight to Fairbanks, we flew over the majestic peaks of the Brooks Range at sunset. Absolutely breathtaking!  Eventually made it safely back to Anchorage.  It was a long day, but filled with some of the most unforgettable and unexpected moments of the trip!





Visited the Glen Alps area of Chugach State Park just outside of Anchorage today.  Hiked along a snow covered trail in search of moose.  Spotted moose and bear tracks along the trail.  Saw 6 moose including a Cow and Calf that were right on the trail with a small Bull trailing not far behind. 

   

Encore!

Well, unfortunately my flight was cancelled yesterday due to the blizzard so I'm still on Barter Island.  Lucky for me, it provided one more chance for me to photograph the polar bears and boy, did they put on an encore performance.  What a delight!

Final Day with the Bears

It's our last day out watching the bears.  Snow is falling and most of the bears are curled up resting and conserving energy before they head out to hunt seals in next week or so.   Today we went ashore leaving the safety of our boat and walking in the paw prints of these amazing polar bears.  It was exhilarating to look across and watch them thru the blowing snow.  Jack and Steve kept a close lookout to insure our safety.  Hard to say goodbye to the bears, but it's been a privilege to view these impressive animals in the wild!

 

Kaktovik Village

Kaktovik is a small coastal village with only about 300 residents.  They have a school, community center, post office, two hotels and two stores.  At night, the polar bears wander into town so no one walks around outside at night.   Occasionally, we hear gunshots during the night which is the night patrol chasing the bears out of town.

Every evening, we retreat back to the local hotel for a home cooked meal and warm bed, much welcomed after a day in the cold weather.  At the front door, we are greeted with a collection of moose and caribou antlers, quintessential Alaska!  Local transportation provided via school bus.

  

Another Day on the Hunt for Bears

Each day is spent on the water viewing and photographing the bears from a small boat.  Our guides are Steve Kazlowski and Jack Kayotuk who know the area well.  Every day is a new adventure. We never know what kind of bear activity we'll witness, but it's always a thrill even in challenging weather conditions.

     

As the water temperature drops and snow continues to fall, the sea ice is slowly starting to form.  Once it thickens, the bears will leave the area out on the ice to hunt for seals.

The blizzard continues to bring more snowfall and windy conditions, but it hasn't slowed us down yet.  

  

   

More Polar Bears...

A winter blizzard hit today with temps dipping into the teens and winds gusting up to 50mph at times.  The snow continues to pile up, but the bears love it!