Today, salmon were the stars of the show! Everybody, from the fishermen on Eldean to the brown bears at Anan Bear Observatory, were out looking for salmon! Fortunately, for our crews, the salmon were running up the Stikine River, and the bears at Anan Bear Observatory were actively hunting. Our group spent the afternoon watching two subadult siblings, a brother and sister, about 2 years old. The pair, youthfully uncoordinated, were in and out of the water, honing their abilities of snatching salmon mid leap as they traveled up the stream. The eagles and ravens patiently waited their turn to feed on the remaining carcass left behind from the bear’s lunch. Seeing bears in their home territory, in their own space was a truly magical experience. A special thank you to Abby who took some fantastic photos of humans and bears alike!

Rather than watching the bears, Randy, Jack, Ben and Allan from Eldean, decided to emulate the bears by fishing for salmon of their own. Had it not been for human invented regulations, the fishermen on Eldean would have had our Anan bears beat 3 – 2.  As it were, one of the three salmon caught was a keeper and was brought home to be enjoyed for dinner. Hooray for salmon; for continuing to sustain life in southeast Alaska!