Spy on Bears in the Wild With the Bearcam

Technology can be pretty incredible, especially when it allows you to watch live bears fishing for salmon.

A big showing at the Bearcam. (Photo Credit: Explore.org)

The U.S. National Park Service has a pretty unique feature with the Brown Bear Cams, where they show exclusive live footage of Brooks River in Alaska’s Katmai National Park. You can sit back in a comfy chair and watch as bears (yes, bears plural) grab a snack in the refreshing waters.

This mile long stretch of river is the largest Sockeye Salmon run in the world, and that brings tons of Alaska Brown Bears, the larger coastal form of the Grizzly, to the area to feast. The peak bear viewing season is apparently every July and September, and the National Park Service says up to 70 individual bears have been identified in a given July. However, fewer bears use the area in June and August.

You can actually watch fish jumping the falls, bears hanging out in the foam, and even a bruin doing a cannonball into the water below. The National Park Service says as many as 25 bears have been seen fishing at the falls at the same time. At the time of writing this article, the amount of bears in view ranged from four to seven.

The park even has eBooks on the bears with photos, videos, and their life histories for more information on the history of the individual bears.

For a quick view of what you might catch a glimpse of, the site just posted this video of a grazer stealing another bear’s fish. The brown bear’s big paw splashing water at the thief in annoyance is definitely a sight to see.

Convinced? Check out the livestream online, and take a look at the National Park Service’s other gorgeous views as well.