Brown Bears Fishing at Alaska’s Brooks Falls

In Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, the brown bears have returned to Brooks Falls, where they gorge themselves on salmon from July to September in preparation for the coming winter. The fishing bears have become famous, viewed by millions on live “bear cams,” and celebrated each September during Fat Bear Week with a tournament organized by the National Park Service. Recently, the Getty Images photographer John Moore paid a visit to Brooks Falls, catching images of some of the bears in action.

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Two large bears stand at the top of a waterfall, as one opens its mouth wide to catch a jumping salmon.

A brown bear snags a sockeye salmon in midair on August 11, 2023, at Brooks Falls, Alaska, within Katmai National Park and Preserve.
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John Moore / Getty

A brown bear stands at the edge of a lake.

A brown bear scans for salmon on August 12, 2023, near Brooks Falls.
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John Moore / Getty

A view of an Alaskan lake from inside a small plane.

Naknek Lake can be seen as visitors fly overhead on August 11, 2023, near Brooks Falls.
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John Moore / Getty

Several bears stand in rushing water, above and below a waterfall, with one salmon visible in mid-jump.

Brown bears fish for salmon at Brooks Falls on August 11, 2023.
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John Moore / Getty

A bear sits in shallow water, eating a salmon.

A brown bear eats his catch near Brooks Falls on August 12, 2023.
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John Moore / Getty

A couple dozen people stand on a viewing platform above two bears beside a river.

Visitors view brown bears fishing on August 11, 2023.
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John Moore / Getty

A school of salmon swims in greenish river water.

Salmon swim near the mouth of the Brooks River on August 11, 2023.
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John Moore / Getty

A brown bear leaps in shallow water while fishing.

A brown bear leaps while fishing on August 11, 2023.
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John Moore / Getty

Four bears gather above and below a waterfall, as a salmon jumps amid them.

Brown bears watch for jumping salmon on August 11, 2023.
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John Moore / Getty

A brown bear shakes off water while standing in a river.

A brown bear shakes off water while fishing on August 12, 2023.
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John Moore / Getty

The head of a bear is visible in a lake as it swims.

A brown bear fishes for salmon on August 12, 2023, near Brooks Falls within Alaska’s vast Katmai National Park and Preserve.
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John Moore / Getty

Five people stand knee-deep in a river, fly-fishing.

Fly-fishers try their luck near Brooks Falls on August 12, 2023. Anglers and brown bears fish the same waters from July to September, while millions of sockeye salmon swim upstream to spawn.
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John Moore / Getty