Humpback Whales

Humpback whales are abundant in Alaska especially in southeast. I took these photos on one of my rare days off this summer. These pictures don't do the animals justice. The spout of water that comes out when they exhale is fifteen feet high but what can you expect when one lung is the size of a VW Bug! Scientists can identify individuals from the unique markings on their tale fluke. Marine mammals are not my area of expertise but always fun to see.

Also just a quick disclaimer that all photos on this site are not to be reproduced without my permission. lol

A Plug for My Uncle Michael

When I asked about creating this blog my cousin Miles reminded me that my Uncle Michael has his own blog. He's a very interesting guy and has always followed his dreams. He's a well known poet and writer. He's also been an actor and I hear his voice often for television commercials. But mostly he's a charasmatic guy who's had a lot more adventures than me. Check out his website when you get a chance and read his stuff. If you're on the East Coast look at his list of events and go hear him speak!

Encounters With A Brown Bear Sow

This is a large sow(female) brown bear that had two spring cubs this year. She was walking down a beach and approached within thirty to forty feet with not much room for me to back away. Luckily the bears in this area are somewhat habituated to humans and she wasn't displaying any of the aggressive behavior that can make a sow very dangerous. After looking back for her cubs that were busy playing she decided to sit down about forty feet away from me and wait for them to catch up. It was truly amazing and also quite the heart racing moment. I got to know this bear over the summer and would normally recommend most people avoid these types of encounters without lots of training and perhaps an expert guide along with you. This took place in an area that has been managed to allow bears to become habituated to humans. Normally a sow with cubs can be incredibly dangerous and ferociously protective of their young. I can't be responsible for anyone who is injured on their own Alaskan Adventures.lol

Working in Bear Country

This is a photo taken in Southeast Alaska where Brown Bears are common. It's never wise to turn your back on a bear of any species but fortunatley the person taking this photo was also armed and this bear was simply traveling from point a to point b with no consideration of us humans. Working around bears has taught me a great deal about bear behavior. However, I always remember that they are unpredictable wild animals and I'm in their home!There is always something more to learn from nature. Living and working in remote areas of Alaska and getting to see the natural wonders is truly incredible. Like most nature lovers being able to see bears is a fun and amazing experience. I'll have many more bear photos and tales as I get the time to add to my blog.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. After much encouragement from friends and family I left a career on the east coast of the U.S. and moved 5,000+ miles(driving distance) to Alaska to follow my dream of working in this beautiful place. My journey has had many wonderful experiences as well as some trying moments and after much prodding from family members I've decided to create this blog so that friends, family and the world can read about and see photos of some of my adventures. Some of these adventures occurred while working with Alaska's wildlife but this is in no way an official agency website. It's just my thoughts, descriptions and photos for all to enjoy. I hope you all enjoy it and I'll be interested in feedback of any kind. Thanks for visiting my new blog!