In late summer, the brown bears along Alaska's Katmai coast seem to have but one objective -- to gorge on plentiful pink salmon, running upstream from the sea to spawn. At Geographic Harbor and near Kinak Bay, bears of all sizes and ages, preparing for the Alaskan winter, congregate at shallow tidal estuaries to catch and gorge on nutritious salmon. August is still a time of plenty for these extraordinary creatures, and they make the most of their opportunities, augmenting their protective fat reserves at every chance. Huge, solitary males, and females with one to three spring or yearling cubs, prowl the banks and brave chilly streams, always poised to pounce on unsuspecting fish. In the process, adult bears are mostly oblivious to the presence of humans, so intense is their interest in fishing.