For a second, I’m sure this fisherman in Alaska thought to himself, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Jaws wasn’t in the water, but the next best thing was: A mama brown bear. The fisherman was out on the water in Soldotna, Alaska when the fishing charter he was a part of turned into a grizzly bear tour. And hey… it must have been a good fishing charter if they ended up right in the middle of a bear feeding frenzy.
Though bears will eat just about anything, they might not have a snack that they favor more than salmon. Especially these coastal browns who have all you can eat buffets in Alaska. The large animals will often spend hours fishing, and are normally successful in their endeavors. Some bruins have been known to catch and eat over 30 salmon in one day.
A bear’s speed, razor-sharp talons and exceptional swimming ability make them perfect anglers. That was on full display in this video, which showed a mother brown bear (her little one wasn’t too far away) intruding on the fishing charter’s space and stealing away a salmon right out of the water.
The bear can be seen sticking its head under water looking for a fish, all while the fisherman sat on the boat – as still as can be – trying not to alert the mother bear. The good news for those aboard the fishing charter? The bear was so preoccupied with catching a fish dinner that it barely even noticed they were there.
Still though… it made for quite the heart-pounding encounter:
“A fisherman in Soldotna, Alaska, captured a close-up video of a mother grizzly bear catching and eating a salmon right next to his boat during a fishing charter.”
Man… I guess there’s not much you can do if a brown bear swims right up to your boat. But I’d imagine that you’d still be a little concerned, right? This guy was taking a selfie video and smiling through it all.
The internet came across the footage couldn’t believe it, and don’t think they would have stayed as level-headed if they found themselves in the same situation:
There two of them!! lol omg! I don’t know if I’d be as calm lol
— rasslin&racin (@Kerrybutno) August 1, 2026
Yet another way I’ll never die…eaten by bear while fishing in their home.
— BrettNielson (@BrettNielson9) August 1, 2026
If this is real, that dude is as cool as the other side of the pillow.
— Rob (@Robthecitizen) August 2, 2026
Yeah… in the modern age of AI videos running rampant, I had to ask myself if this was real too. I can confirm that it is, and this guy is, in fact, as cool as a cucumber.
While technically the exact same species, these coastal brown bears differ from inland grizzly bears in size and temperament. Thanks to this all-you-can-eat buffet of salmon, then tend to grow much larger than inland grizzlies, and can often times have a much less aggressive demeanor since there is such an abundance of food sources available. That “survival of the fittest” attitude goes out the window and these bears are usually far less territorial… which is why wildlife photographers, hikers, and even this fisherman can get much closer.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should approach them without extreme caution, but they truly embody the expression “fat and happy.”
