July is the best time of year to watch Alaskan brown bears feast on spawning sockeye salmon. The large mammals wade into rivers and scoop fish after fish out of the water as they rapidly try to swim upstream. While it’s usually only witnessed by park rangers and the occasional tourist, this year’s salmon fest is being broadcast around the world.
Explore.org has set up a livestream at Brooke Falls in beautiful Katmai National Park, a popular fishing spot for bears, so that wildlife enthusiasts who can’t make it to the park can still take part in this remarkable natural event.
You can tune in on YouTube and watch as the bears slap the fish out of midair, or just relax in the water as an abundance of prey pass them by. Dedicated viewers will get to know the bears pretty intimately–the animals guard their fishing spots fiercely so only a few usually appear in a given spot.
While it may not compare to being there for real, this is surely a much safer way to witness the spectacular event.
