Hallo Bay. On a rare calm morning, probably one of only ten days each year, bears prospect along the shoreline backed by the cloud wreathed mountains of Kodiak Island over 30 miles away across the  Shelikof Strait. The combination of bears and landscape makes Hallo Bay a unique and awe inspiring location to visit and experience.

Early Morning Hallo Bay. Low morning light was ideal for photographing the bears as they wandered past us while we knelt on the wet sand in the tidal margins. Often the bears would pass within a few yards with a only a couple of sideways glances to check us out.

Scuffle. Between periods of fishing activity these sub-adults practice their fighting moves for later life. Most bear encounters avoid physical contact with body language, jaw popping and other vocalisations serving to establish dominance. Occasionally it does come down to a fight and early experiences like this one allow the bears to learn what it feels like to hit and be hit.

Contemplation. Behind the beaches at Swikshak and Hallo are tidal lagoons which are flooded on the highest tides. These areas support the growth of sedges, plantains and other plants which form a large part of the bears diet. Grazing by the bears produces a landscape reminiscent of a golf course with short cropped sedge fairways and intervening rough areas of long grass. This bear had just woken up from napping during sedge grazing.

Close Encounter. Sitting at the edge of a sedge meadow we were photographing this bear when she decided to move into the long grass for a sleep moving so close that her footsteps could be both heard and felt.