Katmai Brown Bears - Memorable Faces

Even though we took our Alaska trip almost a year ago, I find myself revisiting my photo files and frequently looking over my collection of brown bear images. And there are some memorable faces that will continue to greet me for years to come. 

Like this handsome bear, who was the notorious and hilarious rock sitter at Brooks Falls. 

Here she is striking a pose at the top of the falls, gazing out at the cast of bears stationed in their customary fishing spots. 

This bear routinely fished with its head in the water and its rump in the air. It always wore a slightly dazed look when it came up for air! 

Many of the smaller bears hung around the lower river platform. One lingered right below my feet, giving me an opportunity to capture its contemplative profile. 

Another juvenile proudly caught a fish and swam to shore.  It was cautiously looking around, nervous that another bear would try to snatch the meal away.

And this young bear was brave enough to hang around the falls area with the big boys of the fishing hole. With its oversized ears, it had a bit of a comical appearance. It was rare for a bear to look up at the viewing platforms and make eye contact with any of us humans. They routinely ignored us. But this youngster looked up once and held a momentary gaze. 

My index finger was ready.