A GLOUCESTERSHIRE photographer has fulfilled a lifelong ambition by travelling thousands of miles to one of the world’s most remote wildernesses to capture giant brown bears feasting on salmon.
Paul Nicholls, who is usually found photographing royalty, prime ministers, celebrities and local events, swapped red carpets for river rapids in July when he spent three days at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska.
The world-famous location is renowned for its annual sockeye salmon run, when thousands of fish battle upstream against powerful currents to reach the freshwater streams where they were born and lay their eggs.
Reaching the falls is an adventure in itself.
Mr Nicholls flew from London to Seattle, then on to Anchorage, before a further flight to the tiny town of King Salmon, the gateway to Brooks Falls.
With no road access, the final leg is by float plane, a 25-minute hop into the park that sets visitors down in the heart of bear country.
“As soon as you arrive at Brooks Falls you attend Bear School – you’re in the brown bears’ environment and must abide by their rules,” Mr Nicholls said.
Bears roam freely around the lodges and campsite, and visitors are instructed to give them at least 50 yards of space.
They must also step off the track into the woods if one approaches, talking calmly as it passes.
His first bear sighting came while he was putting up his tent behind an electric fence designed to keep curious animals out.
“My very first impression was how massive they are,” he said.
Travelling with specialist wildlife company Backcountry Journeys and guides Tiffany Taxis and Jon Kuiper, Mr Nicholls timed his visit for the peak of the sockeye run in mid-July.
On his group’s first trip to the viewing platforms, they counted around 30 bears fishing at once – some able to catch and eat more than 30 salmon a day as the river ‘runs red’ with fish.
“It was breath-taking, stunning, superb, life-changing and probably one of the best things I have done in my 42-year photography career,” he said.
Unlike many visitors who stay in lodges or visit for just a few hours, Mr Nicholls chose to camp for three nights, giving him early morning and late evening access for photography in changing light.
Strict rules mean no food can be carried outside the campsite or lodge to avoid attracting bears; instead, provisions are stored in designated caches and eaten only in safe areas.
Away from Wi-Fi, phone signal and email, Mr Nicholls described the experience as ‘stepping off the world’ for three days.
Walking with wild bears and watching them compete for the best fishing spots felt, he said, ‘like entering Jurassic Park’.
Now back in Gloucestershire, Mr Nicholls says the trip was ‘a marvel of the natural world’ and one he would recommend to anyone prepared for long travel, basic camping and close-up encounters with one of nature’s most impressive predators.
His images from Alaska, alongside examples of his other work, can be viewed at paulnichollsphotography.com.