Bear viewing Pack's Creek 15/08/04
A black screen is a video..be sure to click anywhere on the screen to bring up the video player.
Big Mama
The bears you see in these pictures and video are mama bears with cubs and young bears, 2-4 years old, who have either just left their moms this year, or will be on their own next year.
At Admiralty Island National Monument, one must have reservations to view the bears. We were met on the beach by a U.S. Forest Service employee who briefed us on the do's and don'ts of inhabiting bear territory. We couldn't carry anything with the scent of food, even flavored chapstick was banned. The USFS employees carry bear spray and a rifle which is comforting, but we were told there is rarely a need for their use. These bears are habituated to human presence and are much more interested in the salmon than they are of our existence. Still, we had to sit far away from the bears in the presence of a USFS employee and were barely within adequate zoom range for our cameras.
Watching the Pack Creek Bears Video 2:52 min.
Earlier in the day, the sun was quite warm and the bears were not very active, except for one bear shown in the photos below.
Returning later in the day near sunset, more bears were out fishing. This is my first video attempt with my DSLR camera so please forgive the rattles and shakes. I hope you enjoy.
Sharing the creek
A seagull swims among the many salmon struggling against the current.
Firing up the Catalyst Video 1:40 sec
Shane, engineer for the Catalyst, shows us why he has job security. It takes more than a crew of one to run this 75 foot, 1932 vintage boat with original pistons. When Cap't Bill indicates more speed by ringing the bells, Shane must manually adjust the Catalyst's throttle by hand and the pistons must be oiled every 2 hours while underway.
Watch how he prepares the engine for start-up.
