Powerful Encounter with a Hungry Brown Bear in Takatz Bay

 Takatz Bay is one of the most beautiful places to kayak. It is located on the east coast of Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska. It is a long fjord, carved out by a glacier many years ago. Snowy mountain peaks are still visible deep up the valley, and the water is still tinged sky blue with glacial meltoff. Now a beautiful stream thunders out of the rainforest into the back of the bay, and salmon come back year after year to swim their way up it.

This means that on occasion, a brown bear comes down to the river to do some fishing. If you get lucky, and you time the tides right (it has to be a high tide to get up the river to the falls), then you might just get to kayak with a wild Alaskan brown bear. Today was that day. And this bear was hungry.

I watched the bear walking purposefully along the high tide coastline, peaking in and out of the forest as it cruised towards the river. I followed silently in my kayak, trying to keep my eye on it through the foliage. After busting out into another clearing it turned deeper into the forest and disappeared. But I was still hopeful, so I kayaked around the corner to the river.

Sure enough, after about five minutes here comes the bear. It walks right by me, casting a sideways glance my way. But it continues on purposefully to the rapid filled river, just above the high tide line. After finding the perfect perch, it launched itself into the water with a huge splash, and emerged with a salmon!

The bear put on a wonderful show for us over the next thirty minutes or so. Walking the coastlines, leaping off rocks, and quietly munching on salmon were all on the menu. The bear put gave us enough time to call our skiff tour over, and to get a few paddle boarders in the mix. The setting could have been an Alaskan postcard.

Here are some of the pictures from the adventure.

One of my favorite shots of the encounter. The bear emerged from the water with a salmon as the light was hitting it just right.

One of the guest in the skiff took this picture of me, staring down the bear from my kayak. I back-paddled shortly after.

Even without a bear, Takatz is a magical place to paddle.

In the river, waiting for the bear to reveal itself

Kasnyku Falls from just down the coast

You can see the blood from its recent meal of salmon

Another kayaker getting the show of a lifetime

The last thing a salmon ever sees.

This was a big, healthy looking bear.

I was impressed at the feeding strategy and efficiency of this bear. Deep water is not the easiest place to catch these salmon, but he got them with every jump.

On the hunt

Every once in a while we would lock eyes. It was a powerful feeling.