Who needs sushi delivery when you’ve got Brooks Falls in Alaska’s Katmai National Park?
These brown bears are snagging salmon like it’s the best sashimi they’ve ever tasted. It’s the bear version of happy hour, and you’re going to want a front-row seat.
This will surely make the top 10 when I publish my list of best bear documentaries.
The Unique Experience of Bears at Brooks Falls
Brooks Falls (Katmai National Park, Alaska) is like a five-star buffet for bears.
This makes it the perfect spot for bears to gather and fish. The waterfall acts like a natural trap for the salmon, giving bears an easy way to catch them as they jump.
You can often see over a dozen bears fishing in the same spot—sometimes even competing for the best spots.
For the bears, it’s a chance to pack on the pounds before hibernation. For us, it’s a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest shows.
When are bears at Brooks Falls?
Bears are at Brooks Falls primarily from late June to mid-July during the peak of the salmon run.
This is when the sockeye salmon are most abundant, making it prime feeding time for the bears. Some bears remain through August and September as salmon continue to swim upstream, though the activity slows down compared to July.
The bears spend these months eating as much as possible to build fat reserves for the winter hibernation (which is usually October/November to April/May).
So, if you want to see the most bear activity, late June through July is your best bet!
What kind of bears are at Brooks Falls?
The bears at Brooks Falls are brown bears, a subspecies of the North American grizzly.
These brown bears are specifically coastal bears, which are larger than inland grizzlies due to their rich diet of salmon.
They can weigh between 500 to 900 pounds, and some get even bigger during the salmon run at Brooks Falls. Brown bears are excellent fishers
Otis the Bear
The most famous bear at Brooks Falls is “Bear 480”, a 480-pounder whos fans call him “Otis”.
Otis is 28 years old as I write this on October 6, 2024 if you go by the article sourced below from Alaska Public Media. Here’s a bit more on him:
“He’s super old, but he’s still very active. When he showed up, he was immediately catching fish and those are positive signs. He’s still active, he’s still moving around.”
Viewers of the park’s live cameras can identify him with a few grey and white swirls in his brown coat and some damage to his left ear.
“He is also missing a lot of teeth – he only has about two teeth,” Jimenez said. “So if you see a bear with a floppy left ear, who’s pretty old and he’s got like two teeth,
How many bears are at Brooks Falls and Katmai?
Brooks Falls has around 50 bears during the peak salmon runs.
But Katmai National Park is home to about 2,200 in total.
The Platforms to View the Bears
Katmai National Park has set up three raised viewing platforms that let you watch the bears up close—without being in danger or disturbing the animals.
These platforms are like VIP passes, giving you different angles to see the action. The first platform is right at the falls, where most of the bear fishing happens.
The second one is downstream, giving you a wider view of bears wandering the riverbank.
The third platform is at the river’s mouth, where the salmon first enter the river. From here, you can watch the salmon journey and catch glimpses of bears all along the water.
The best part?
The bears barely notice the humans because they’re so focused on fishing.
Don’t be a knucklehead like this guy:
First off, it’s dangerous to the guy. The bears could rip him to shreds.
Secondly, it’s dangerous for the bears. If a bear killed him it’s possible that the bear might get euthanized.
I agree with the commenters that I wish the guy dropped his phone.
Thankfully, the bears were more interested in eating salmon. 🙂
Katmai’s Live Bear Cams
If you can’t make it to Alaska, don’t worry—Katmai has you covered. They’ve set up live bear cams so you can watch the action from anywhere in the world.
The cameras are placed in the perfect spots to capture the bears fishing, playing, and sometimes even sparring over the best fishing spots.
You can tune in anytime during the salmon run and catch a glimpse of nature at its wildest. It’s like having a live wildlife documentary streaming right to your device—no plane ticket required.
The Brooks Falls bear cam went live on July 27, 2012 thanks to a partnership between Katmai National Park and Explore.org.
Highlights of User Comments
I love asking A.I. to summarize user comments for a video like this. Here’s how it summarized the highlights:
Patience and Calm of Bears: Many viewers are fascinated by the bears’ patience while they wait for salmon, as seen in comments like “The bears look so peaceful and patient…” (CarrieH9956) and “These bears have so much patience!” (videogames9885).
Aesthetic Appreciation: Several commenters express admiration for the visual beauty of the scene, such as “So… so beautiful!” (minhhop3208) and “Beautiful place for a bear to live” (karencurtis2697). Nature and the peaceful surroundings seem to bring a calming effect to viewers.
Wildlife and Natural Behavior: Observing the bears in their natural habitat is a big draw. Comments like “This is the proper way to observe Nature & the Animals” (caterindavis9757) and “It’s entertaining watching the salmon pinging off the edge of the waterfall” (lisamartin4858) indicate how viewers value seeing animals behave freely.
Connection to Personal Experiences: Some comments show how watching the bears helps people connect emotionally. For example, a viewer shared how the video helped them through depression during COVID-19, feeling peaceful and reminded of childhood (Adn01442).
Environmental Concerns: There are subtle environmental undertones, with concerns about the availability of salmon for the bears, such as “It is a bit concerning that there are not as many salmon” (kismypencek6185) and discussions about the salmon’s struggle upstream, which seems “unforgiving” (fedra76it).
Humor and Lightheartedness: Some viewers add a touch of humor to their observations, like “Hey Boo Boo, let’s go get us a pic-a-nic basket” (ar9127) and “Their nails must be grippers” (SundayCookingRemix).
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly
Chief Maniac, Daily Doc