They watch in awe as one furry fisherman after another sinks his teeth into a red salmon. Aw, he missed it. The brown bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve know a good fishing spot when they see one, and Brooks Falls on the Brooks River is one honey of a fishing hole. For red salmon, the falls are a hurdle to clear en route to their spawning grounds. Fresh, of course.
Bears are expert at catching fish at the falls.
They combine balance, timing, agility, quickness and, what every good fisherman has, patience. The bears stand at the top of the falls facing downriver, waiting for a salmon to make its jump. When one does, a bear snatches it in midair with its jaws. The bear then backs off the falls and eats the fish there in the river or retreats to shore to devour its meal. Other bears, especially cubs, chase salmon in the waters below the falls, a seemingly less-effective technique.