Katmai Coastal Bears Adventure
August 19 – 26, 2025
Dates:
August 19 - 26, 2025
Your Pros:
Juan Pons & Jaclyn Merica
Tuition:
$11,495 USD
Location:
Katmai National Park, USA
Fitness Level:
Moderate
Availability:
1 Seat Remaining (Shared Cabin)
Dates:
August 19 - 26, 2025
Your Pros:
Juan Pons & Jaclyn Merica
Tuition:
$11,495 USD
Location:
Katmai National Park, USA
Fitness Level:
Moderate
Availability:
1 Seat Remaining (Shared Cabin)
Alaska's Coastal Critters
There is no place else anywhere in the world to experience brown bears quite like Katmai National Park and Preserve. With a population of more than 2,200 bears, Katmai, Alaska is the ultimate destination to observe and photograph this magnificent species.
Join me and a small group of fellow adventurers on an epic excursion to photograph in coastal Alaska. Jaclyn Merica, my assistant and co-instructor, and I will guide you along the shorelines to witness the prolific salmon run– a favorite annual event for the bears.
By working with an experienced captain on a privately chartered vessel, we allow ourselves more access to the brown bears than other land based Katmai bear excursions. Our ship will act as a base camp while we navigate this largely roadless region. Once we’ve found an area with active wildlife sightings, we’ll then disembark on a specialized skiff for a closer look on shore.
Despite the close proximity to the bears, rest assured we are safe and will take all necessary precautions recommended by our local guides. The bears are focused on foraging for grasses, clams, and salmon, and, thus, are disinterested in our presence.
The park also offers much more than just bears to photograph. Katmai boasts over 135 species of birds, with many using the area as a migratory passage in the spring and summer months. Several species of marine mammals, including harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters, and porpoises that frequent Katmai’s coastline. Just beyond the park’s boundaries, a variety of whales enjoy the abundant feeding opportunities along the Shelikof Strait. This area is rich in wildlife photography experiences, and is one of the most remote and untouched places still in existence.
I believe that in order to truly enjoy your experience, and receive the most out of an adventure photography workshop, we must keep groups small and have a very high ratio of instructors to participants. We’ve limited this workshop to a maximum of 8 participants and 2 instructors, plus our very friendly and competent expedition crew.
This is a unique educational excursion, and by capping the number of participants, we are ensuring everyone gets the attention and one-on-one instruction they need to make once in a lifetime images.
You will be accompanied by Juan Pons, Jaclyn Merica, and an elite Captain and crew intimately aware of the remote region we will explore. Juan is an accomplished professional wildlife and travel photographer and photographic educator who has a deep passion for the outdoors. Jaclyn is Juan’s assistant, co-leading workshops in places like Madagascar, Patagonia, Yellowstone, Botswana, and Cuba.
Juan and his team believe the best way to teach is by demonstrating, and to this end, we will be shooting alongside you, showing you our technique, and sharing our love and knowledge of wildlife and the landscape. Our priority is always YOU, and assisting you to get the best images YOU can. By joining this adventure, you’ll return home not only with some incredible shots, but also a greater understanding of creative photography techniques and technical skills.
The biggest advantage of having small groups is the flexibility they provide for customizing and adjusting our schedule to accommodate both to the unpredictable Alaskan weather and the interests of the group as a whole. This allows us to cover only those topics that you are all interested in, including:
• Techniques for creating exciting and captivating wildlife images
• Digital darkroom demos to enhance the quality of your images
• Best use of your equipment
• Image reviews
My workshops are fairly intensive experiences, and as such, you should not expect this to be a leisurely vacation. My goal is to capture the best images we can during our time with the bears. This means there will be days we begin very early and return to the boat very late. However, we will always have breaks and lunch rest hours.
To attend this workshop, please consider your own physical capabilities when visiting an extreme environment such as Alaska. Participants must be able to carry the weight of their own equipment and backpacks, load and offload from the zodiacs into shallow water, ford river crossings (with and/or without a partner) in water up to knee high, and, lastly, walk up to 5 miles on mixed terrain. If you have any questions about the physical requirements of this trip, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
You should expect to receive important details to secure your flights into Kodiak, Alaska about 6 months prior to the workshop.
Then, about 2 months prior to the workshop, you will start hearing from me and my team on a regular basis. I will provide you with a Workshop Participant Info Packet with all relevant details, as well as go over more info regarding the workshop to get you inspired and thinking about the images you want to capture during the workshop. At this time, you will also receive from me a list of recommended clothing, equipment, and even discounts for equipment you may want to acquire for this excursion.
My assistant, Jaclyn, and I are always available to answer any questions you may have leading up to the workshop- simply call or email and we can help you as best we can.
Additionally, we will plan a Zoom meeting 6 – 8 weeks prior to the start of our workshop. There, you can meet your fellow workshop participants, ask any questions before traveling, receive insights and recommendations for reference books, and much more.
Tuition for the workshop is $11,495 USD for double occupancy per person.
We have three cabins available for single occupancy with their own private bathroom for an additional supplemental cost of $1,800. If this is of interest to you, please make sure to select the single cabin option during checkout.
If you would like to reserve your spot on this workshop, you can do so with a $5,595.00 USD non-refundable deposit (see fine print section below).
The remaining balance of the workshop is due 3 months prior to the first day of the workshop. If you are in need of a special payment arrangement, please reach out and we are happy to work with you.
NOTE: This tuition cost INCLUDES the price of a private 90 minute float plane ride to and from Kodiak to our vessel in Katmai National Park. Truly, an unforgettable arrival to our photo location for the week.
Our private charter flights from Kodiak to our expedition vessel have a total weight limit that is strictly enforced. We ask all participants to pack lightly for our days on the ship. We will communicate the exact weight allowance as we get closer to our departure date, as it will depend on the total person weight of our group in total.
There is always a chance that inclement weather could delay our flights into or out of Kodiak and/or to the M/V we will be staying on. Situations like this are beyond my and my team’s control, and is why we HIGHLY suggest you purchase Travel Insurance.
We have partnered with Squaremouth, a website that allows you to compare multiple travel policies from multiple providers to choose the best one for you based on your needs and costs. Check them out here: https://www.squaremouth.com/
• Privately chartered expedition yacht
• Privately chartered round trip float plane ride
• Lodging during the workshop and in Kodiak (6 nights aboard the ship, 1 night in Kodiak)
• All meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages
• All permits, fees, and gratuities
• In-the-field instruction
• Inspiration
• Camaraderie
• An unforgettable time
• Air travel to and from Kodiak, Alaska Airport (ADQ)
• Any applicable passport and visa fees or items of a personal nature, such as laundry and alcoholic beverages
• Travel, Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended)
• Anything else specifically not listed as included
• You are responsible for making your own flight arrangements to and from Kodiak. We will assist you with flight arrival times and departures prior to your booking.
• Due to the unique specifications of this workshop location and our lodging, no refunds will be provided unless we are able to fill your spot with another participant on our waitlist.
• Make sure to check the Terms and Conditions for all my workshops.
We highly recommend Travel Insurance from a reputable insurance company. I have partnered with Squaremouth, a website that allows you to compare multiple travel policies from multiple providers to choose the best one for you based on your needs and costs. Check them out here: https://www.squaremouth.com/
Day 1:
You should arrive on this day into Kodiak Airport (ADQ), which is accessed from Anchorage. We will provide you with the information you need to book your flights into Kodiak. You will be picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel for the night.
Day 2:
We will all gather for breakfast at the hotel and go over details for our short flight to the ship. Around mid-morning, we will all load into two sea planes and set off to meet our expedition ship, Captain Rob, Star, and crew. This is a glorious way to first take in the splendor of Katmai National Park and Preserve. Once we’ve touched down, we will do a safety briefing and make our way to our first excursion to shore.
Day 3 – 7:
We’ll be aboard our vessel for these five full days, utilizing our crew’s local insights, current conditions in the region, and past expedition experiences to visit pristine and remote inlets and coves with abundant salmon streams and active wildlife. This excursion offers us significant opportunities and access to wildlife, however, it is important to note that our wildlife subjects are just that- wild. We, as a team, will do all we can to maximize our wildlife encounters, and will work with the conditions at hand to photograph the best settings possible. While on the boat, we will conduct live editing sessions and image reviews to continually improve our images and creative processes each day of the workshop.
Day 8:
After our last morning outing, we’ll disembark the ship late morning for our float plane flight back to Kodiak. From here, travelers make their way home, typically via Anchorage.
