No Trip in 2023 – Check Back for more information on 2024!
2022 Trip has filled! Please contact me if you’d like to be added to the waiting list!
Most people can think of just two places when they consider Alaska’s Katmai National Park: Brooks Falls and the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. This trip visits neither one.
There is far more to Katmai than those two locations, and the park’s wild coast of fjords, bays, volcanic peaks and enormous wildflower meadows is my favorite, but little-visited part of this park.
In June, the many coastal sedge meadows are loaded with bears foraging on the grasses, or digging for clams in the sprawling mudflats. And we’ll spend a lot of time photographing them. But there is more to the trip. The rich waters off the coast, are home to abundant seabirds, whales, seals, otters, sea lions, and more. Those will not be forgotten either.
All of this while based on a comfortable, private yacht, chartered just for our group. Excellent food, comfortable accommodations, and seemingly endless wilderness and wildlife…
You need to visit Katmai’s Wild Coast.
Dates
29 May - 4 June 2022 - Trip has filled! Please contact me to be added to the waitlist.
No Trip in 2023! Check back for more information on 2024!
Trip Overview
The southern coast of the Alaska Peninsula, home to Katmai National Park, is lined with a string of glacier-covered volcanoes. Rivers and streams tumble down from the ice, or wind through the long valleys from the mountains. The coast itself alternates between dramatic cliffs plunging into the sea, sprawling fields of sedges, to endless wildflower meadows. There are open bays, deep fjords, and long sandy beaches. It’s a rich place in terms of the landscape, and it’s a diverse place for wildlife as well.
Katmai is known for its bears, and in June of each year, the coastal sedge meadows are home to hundreds of these animals. Recently awakened from hibernation, the first consistent source of food is the fresh growth along the coast. In some areas, we may encounter dozens of bears grazing or digging for clams in the mudflats.
Breeding season will also be underway, and we may encounter males brawling for dominance, or pursuing female bears across the terrain.
We are also likely to encounter females with young cubs, fresh out of the winter den. Cubs in Katmai tend to stay with their mothers for 2 full years, as they learn the ropes of survival in this challenging environment. With any luck, fresh spring cubs and their watchful mother will be targets of our cameras during the week.
Bears will be our centerpiece throughout the voyage, but they will not be the only photographic subject. The landscape of Katmai is dramatic in the extreme, and some areas we will visit, are rarely photographed. This is a chance to hike and explore wild country visited by few photographers, making entirely new images along the way. Too, the waters of the coast of Katmai are extremely rich. Seabirds like puffins and murres, and marine mammals like otters, seals, sea lions, and whales are all likely to be encountered.
All of this while based on the luxury yacht Single Star! Great food, accommodating staff, and comfortable staterooms, are all part of the adventure.
Join me in 2023 for this unique voyage!
Itinerary
Day 1
Meet in the morning in Kodiak, Alaska, and board the private yacht M/V Single Star. We will promptly make way, and begin the crossing of the Shelikof Strait, which separates Kodiak Island from Alaska’s mainland. From the decks, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for whales, birds, and other wildlife. Lunch and dinner aboard. Sometime in the late afternoon, we’ll arrive at our first anchorage along the Katmai Coast.
Day 2
Early in the morning, we’ll head to shore in the Single Star’s skiff. Anywhere there are extensive sedge meadows, we are certain to find bears, and we’ll hit some better-known locations like Hallo Bay, as well as places where very few people visit. Our exact landing and locations schedule will depend on wind and weather.
Day 3-6
More explorations of the Katmai Coast! Geographic Harbor, Kukak Bay, Kinak Bay, and other locations are all likely to be on the itinerary!
Day 7
On our final morning, we’ll find ourselves heading back across the Shelikof Strait toward Kodiak Island. With seabirds and other marine life to entertain us, we’ll have lunch aboard before arriving in Kodiak in the evening. We’ll disembark the Single Star, and head off on further, independent, adventures on Kodiak Island, or elsewhere in Alaska.
- All lodging while aboard the vessel
- All meals while on board
- Outstanding photo opportunities
- Guide Services
- Photography Instruction
- Assistance with other reservations
- Airfare to and from Kodiak, Alaska
- Hotels in Kodiak
- Alcoholic or specialty drinks
- Tips for Guides and Boat Crew
Cost
The price of this trip depends upon the stateroom you choose (see above). Due to space limitations all rooms must be shared, either with your travel companion or another trip participant.
Send your $500 deposit to sign up now!
While physical demands are not high on this trip, you do need to be able to climb in and out of a skiff, and walk a couple of miles over uneven or rough terrain. There are no trails on the coast of Katmai so any hiking we do will be cross-country. While no long hikes will be mandatory, you will want to be able to get back and forth to good photo locations, so a base level of fitness is important.
Long days too, are the norm, and we may be away from the boat for several hours or even more if the day’s photography is excellent.
$500 Deposit to Secure Your Space:
Katmai's Wild Coast
