I almost missed it. For some reason this year just seems to be moving fairly fast. I didn’t realize that Fat Bear Week is already upon us.
Fat Bear Week features the bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska, chowing down on salmon, mostly at a falls on a couple different rivers in the park. It can be fun to watch, although not exactly action packed at times. You get to watch bears staring into the water a lot, seeming to be contemplating the mysteries of life. Suddenly, they’ll grab a salmon, eat it, and go back to staring at the water. If you’re lucky, you get to see several bears all hanging around at the same time.
Most of these bears… okay, all of these bears, are not bears I would like to meet on a hike. These are Alaskan Brown Bears. They are classified as grizzlies, although they do look a bit different. Still, they are really big bears and probably not at all cuddly. Even though they look pretty cuddly. But they are impressive to watch.
You can also check out bios on all the bears, find out a bit about their history and how they have made out over the years. There are returning champions from the past and new contenders, all trying to be the fattest bears they can be.
Unlike some species, being a fat bear is no shame. In fact, it can be a matter of survival. It’s starting to get toward winter in Alaska, and these bears all have a long nap ahead of them. They need to pack on the pounds to survive until spring.
But it is fun to watch them and learn a bit about them. Google Fat Bear Week 2023. Some serious chonks are waiting for you vote.