There had been an unusually extended stretch of heavy rain during the two weeks before we arrived in Alaska. In addition to the grizzly bears we encountered daily, we saw bald eagles, horned puffins, and tufted puffins. At the shore of Cook Inlet, we found a sow grizzly with two playful cubs. We spent several delightful hours watching them follow their mom closely and explore their surroundings. One time the mother grizzly left the beach and returned to the nearby trees without the cubs noticing. When they realized she was not in sight, they quickly hurried toward the trees, but paused when she reappeared, to be sure it was their mother and not a strange bear. It was a wonderful chance to see bears and observe their natural behavior.

CAROL GRENIER Alaska Photography Workshop with NANPA Foundation