Brown bear fishing in river, Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States

Brown bear fishing in river, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA

In Alaska, some of the world's wildest wildlife spectacles unfold far from cities and roads. At Katmai National Park, brown bears line the river, and when the salmon jump, the show begins. Created in 1918 after the dramatic 1912 Novarupta volcanic eruption, the park protects more than 16,000 square kilometres of wilderness, including active volcanoes, tundra and salmon-rich rivers.

Katmai is home to around 2,200 brown bears, one of the highest concentrations in the world. During the sockeye salmon run, as many as 40 bears can gather along the Brooks River to fish. Some catch salmon mid-air at Brooks Falls, while others dive beneath the surface in search of a meal. With so much food available, these usually solitary animals often fish side by side. Many adults weigh about 318 to 408 kilograms by late summer, and the largest males may exceed 544 kilograms before hibernation. It is no surprise that the annual Fat Bear Week has become a much-loved Katmai tradition.