Kodiak Island is famous for huge Kodiak brown bears, world-class sport fishing, one of the largest commercial fishing ports in the nation, and the magnificent green that the island turns during the summer (therefore, rain is abundant!)--which is why Kodiak is affectionately called Alaska's Emerald Isle.

The Kodiak Island Borough, with a population of 13,900 persons includes The City of Kodiak, seven villages, the the largest U.S. Coast Guard Base in the U.S., plus several remote camps and lodges.

The most lasting legacy of the Russian era is the Russian Orthodox religion. Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church, with its blue onion domes, is a prominent fixture in downtown Kodiak.

St. Herman's Theological Seminary

We found lots of delicious, enormous salmonberries.

Yep, many have a circumference greater than a quarter.

Float planes were everywhere.

Home of Sea Hawk Air, with whom we took our bear viewing tour.

Getting ready to board...

...the float plane

VERY SMALL Native Alaskan village visible from our plane

For most people, Kodiak's identity is inextricably linked with its most famous resident, the Kodiak brown bear. We were able to get SO CLOSE to these massive bears! Words cannot describe what an amazing experience we had viewing the Kodiak brown bears in their natural habitat.

Here's a sow and her 3 cubs. We were in The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. It was established in 1941 to protect bear and other wildlife habitat.

Mmmm good. We watched for hours as bears interacted with one another and fished for salmon.

This sow and her 3 cubs walked right by us. As you can see, they were all looking at us when we took this picture.

This guy was checking us out too. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 bears live in Kodiak, with many additional bears inhabiting the Katmai Coast. This makes Kodiak an ideal bear viewing locale.

It was so cool to watch the bears fish for salmon. We saw many different techniques and most, including this guy, were very successful!

Many of the bears took their catch right next to the shoreline and ate their salmon in front of us!

Polliann, Jo (our bear viewing guide) and me

Sow eating to the side as her two cubs played. Kodiak brown bears usually live less than 20 years, but can reach 30 years old.

Mom catching salmon while her cubs play in the water. Their size at shoulder height is as follows: Mature Boars - up to 5 feet Mature Sows - up to 3-1/2 feet

Cubs playin' around

This was some of the pretty scenery surrounding us.

These are some big bears - much bigger than the brown bears of interior Alaska (such as those in Denali National Park) because they are feeding on protien rich salmon while their interior counterparts feed primarily on vegetation, with an occassional caribou treat or other animal. Here are the average sizes of males and females: Mature Boars - 750 to 1,500 pounds Mature Sows 350 - 750 pounds

Bald Eagle flying by

How strong are these guys? Read the following quote: "... a brown (bear) ... took a thousand-pound steer a half mile up an almost vertical mountain. Much of the way through alder tangles with trunks three or four inches thick." What do you think?!

Here's a sow sharing salmon with her cub.

This Bald Eagle is eating on some salmon scraps left behind.

Mom and her 3 cubs passing by

At any one time we could see a dozen bears in different areas around us.

Cubs walking together

This cub is wondering what his brother is doing!

Just caught one!

Their claws were clearly visible when they were near us. Usually black, they may be whitish on older bears. They are used for digging. Foreclaws are usually 4-5", while rear claws are a little shorter.

This guy is smart. He's using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish pass to catch his fish!

We were just feet away from this one!

These cubs were trying to @#%! each other! What?!

For fun, the bears would chase off birds.

These guys were climbing in a area that was very steep. Although they were hesitant occasionally, they made it up and down quite skillfully.

Another one taking the easy way out! We noticed that sows appeared to be the most dominant bear. Here is the official brown bear hierarchy: Large males Females with cubs (occasionally most dominant) Other adult males and females Single subadult males Other subadults

Here are their track diemensions: Fore 6 to 8" long, 7 to 9" wide Hind 12 to 16" long, 8 to10-1/2" wide

This bear is ignoring the sign!