Grizzly Bear Pictures.

To see our full collection of
Grizzly Bear Pictures,

Have you ever seen a close-up shot of a grizzly bear and wondered how the photographer got near enough to such a dangerous animal to capture the shot?  The answer is actually more involved than one might expect.   While most anyone can bring a camera to the zoo and snap grizzly bear pictures in a risk-free setting, Dr. Edward Cordes is only satisfied with photographs taken from their natural habitat.  Doing so, however, requires a considerable investment in time, energy, and a certain amount of risk.

The grizzly bear pictures featured here were shot in a place called Hallo Bay.  Located in Katmai National Park on the southwest mainland of Alaska (just across the straight from Kodiak Island) Hallo Bay is a private bear viewing/photography camp where grizzly bears roam wild in their native habitat.  As the camp is about 150-200 miles from the nearest road, getting there is no simple matter.  For this most recent trip, Dr. Cordes flew with his wife to Homer, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula and then flew 150 miles by bush plane to reach the camp.  Once there, along with a group of several other photographers, naturalists, two guides and one cook, Dr. Cordes set up camp with his wife in preparation for a five-day stay. 

During this time, no visitor was permitted to leave the camp without the assistance of a guide.  Each day the guides lead hikes to spots in the area where grizzly bears are known to frequent, such as salmon-rich mountain streams.  One day the guide led Dr. Cordes’ group to one such stream just after the peak of high tide.  They perched themselves upon logs or sat on the bank as they waited for the tide to recede.  Once it did, bears began to arrive to feed on the salmon.  It was during moments such as this that Dr. Cordes managed to take some of these stunning grizzly bear pictures from only several yards away.  He described one moment in which a bear walking on the beach came as close as fifteen feet, allowing him to capture some excellent head shots.

Dr. Cordes says the bears, while wild, are not especially threatening to photographers or their guides.  Firearms have not been allowed in Katmai Park since 1917, so the bears that live there today have never been hunted.  The location is so remote that the only humans the bears see are those such as Dr. Cordes who exercise great respect for their habitat, and pose no threat to them or their food supply.  As long as the photographers continue to follow the rules of the guides, Dr. Cordes says, they will have the opportunity to obtain great, intimate shots of very large animals in their natural habitat for many years to come.

Aaron J Lozier, 2004