Looking For Bears in Alaska

[Heartfelttraveler]

We will be taking our second Alaska cruise in September 2017. Our first Alaska Cruise was in May and was too early for the Salmon and Bears. This time we are hoping to take an excursion were we will see some bears. I am looking for suggestions from someone who has taken a NCL excursion in September where there was an opportunity to see bears. I am also open to private company tours.

 

I have also put this on the Alaska board, but thought that someone who has done a NCL Alaska cruise in the past may have some information to add.

[KeithJenner]

I may be wrong, but I think that September is a little late.

 

We went in August and took a private flight with Island Wings and they were very good. We did see a couple of bears, but it's quite random. An NCL tour arrived while we were there, and left quite a bit earlier than we did. They didn't see any bears at all.

 

We did actually see a bear eating salmon at the Mendenhall Glacier, and also saw some babies in a tree when doing a tour from Skagway, so keep your eyes open everywhere.

 

Certainly the tours to see them fishing aren't guaranteed. We heard that the viewing had been quite a bit better in the weeks before we visited.

[kissmeyoufool]

We went on a private tour and saw 13 bears in Icy Straight Point this was in early October

 

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Forums mobile app

[JJinAK]

You can still see bears in September. The mama with her 3 cubs was out quite frequently at the Mendenhall Glacier. It is more hit and miss then.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I was on Pearl in May a couple years back and from the MDR there were two bears, clearly visible, ambling along the coast. I got excellent photos. I guess the point is that you never know where they might appear.

[fredflint]

Pack creek tours will take you to admiralty island not cheap but really good used them a few years ago

 

http://www.packcreekbeartours.com/pack-creek-bear-tour/

 

WILDLIFE

 

The 956,155-acre monument is home to an estimated 1,600 brown bears, the highest concentration anywhere in the world, and more brown bears than the rest of the states combined. The island also has the world's greatest concentration of nesting bald eagles. More than 5,000 eagles live on Admiralty Island and average a nest every mile along the coastline of Seymour Canal.

Admiralty Island has a variety of other wildlife as well. Bays such as Mitchell, Hood, Whitewater and Chaik contain harbor seals, porpoises and sea lions. Humpback whales can often be spotted feeding in Seymour Canal. Sitka black-tailed deer are plentiful, and the streams choke with all five species of Pacific salmon that spawn in July and August.

ACTIVITIES

 

Admiralty Island is best known for bear viewing at Pack Creek, preserved as the Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary. Most visitors to Pack Creek arrive on float planes from Juneau just for the day. Upon arrival, they are met by a ranger and then hike a mile-long trail to an observation tower from which they can watch brown bears feed on spawning salmon.

[Budget Queen]

When in September and where are you going to be?

 

NEVER book any NCL tour, that does not specify where you are going.

[deefer]

Our Alaska cruise was Sept 4-10th 2016, did a private excursion with Island Wings in Ketichan. Plenty of salmon spawning so saw bears at both viewing points. A mom with her cub, then 2 lone males. That was good, but for me the coolest thing was sitting in the co pilots seat on the float plane. These were black bears.

[anniesusie]

This is a bit of a cheat. But we didn't see any bears in July so we went to the wildlife rehab center in Portage after we got to Anchorage. You'll see all the wildlife that you didn't see, plus they treat the animals really well with the hope of release.

[BirdTravels]

Neets Bay from Ketchikan 08/22/16

 

[DanmanSanDiego]

We will be on Oosterdaam and in Junea from just 1-9 pm on Sept. 5, 2017. We're planning on going to Pack Creek by float plane. What will be the likelihood of good brown bear viewing then?