cbowls30 Posted January 28 #1 Share Posted January 28 Hi all, Doing princess cruise next July. After much research we think we have whale spotting sorted in Juneau, where best should we try our luck to see some bears? Can't seem to see many bear specific tours. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted January 28 #2 Share Posted January 28 When in July? Ketchikan has some bear tours. It is best to go when salmon are running. I have gone 2x over July 4th holiday and it has been too soon. Technically bears can be seen in all 3 ports but bear excursions are mostly in Ketchikan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SightCRR Posted January 28 #3 Share Posted January 28 When and how much to spend is most important to bear tours. If not flying you could just luck out. in either case. There is a chance on the road to Carcross via rental car for black bear from Skagway or herring cove rain forest trail from Ketch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted January 28 #4 Share Posted January 28 59 minutes ago, SightCRR said: When and how much to spend is most important to bear tours. If not flying you could just luck out. in either case. There is a chance on the road to Carcross via rental car for black bear from Skagway or herring cove rain forest trail from Ketch. I would agree. I have only done one bear watching excursion (which was in May and included 3 bears so off season). I have seen more bears unexpectedly on other excursions - driving to the Yukon is a great example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie11 Posted January 28 #5 Share Posted January 28 Hands down, it’s Wildlife Safari & Bear Viewing for around $150 from Chilkat Guides in Haines if the salmon are running. For second place, I would pick a bear tour at Icy Strait Point. These are both brown bear tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean-lynd Posted January 29 #6 Share Posted January 29 This may help 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SingingPixie Posted January 29 #7 Share Posted January 29 On 1/28/2024 at 11:00 AM, wolfie11 said: Hands down, it’s Wildlife Safari & Bear Viewing for around $150 from Chilkat Guides in Haines if the salmon are running. For second place, I would pick a bear tour at Icy Strait Point. These are both brown bear tours. This is what I'm planning to do in September! That said, I don't think the salmon start running till the second half of July, so it might take a little bit of extra luck earlier in the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloAlaska Posted January 30 #8 Share Posted January 30 In September one year I saw a bear maybe 300m from the ship in Ketchikan while on a pub crawl. The people who took the bear tour that day did not see any. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAX Posted April 16 #9 Share Posted April 16 On 1/28/2024 at 11:00 AM, wolfie11 said: Hands down, it’s Wildlife Safari & Bear Viewing for around $150 from Chilkat Guides in Haines if the salmon are running. For second place, I would pick a bear tour at Icy Strait Point. These are both brown bear tours. Any independent operator you would recommend? Is mid to late June too early? My first choice is whale watching at ISP. If that's not available because of our timing in port, then I would love to see some bears in action! LAX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie11 Posted April 16 #10 Share Posted April 16 The Haines trip is through the ship and only when the salmon are running. I think there are a couple of private vendors for tours in Hoonah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted April 16 #11 Share Posted April 16 4 hours ago, LAX said: Any independent operator you would recommend? Is mid to late June too early? My first choice is whale watching at ISP. If that's not available because of our timing in port, then I would love to see some bears in action! LAX This is who I used in Hoonah: http://geestahuntours.com He was very determined to find me bears in May (I was skeptical as I know we are off season). We found 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat915 Posted April 19 #12 Share Posted April 19 I have been on bear search in Hoonah twice. No bears. Haines is mentioned often to see bears at certain time of year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare karatemom2 Posted April 19 #13 Share Posted April 19 Depending on how late in July you are traveling. If the salmon are running you can often spot black bears feeding at Herring Cove on the outskirts of Ketchikan. We have very good luck there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat915 Posted April 19 #14 Share Posted April 19 Another place to potentially see bears is at Mendenhall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cattman Posted April 24 #15 Share Posted April 24 On 4/19/2024 at 2:02 AM, Kat915 said: Another place to potentially see bears is at Mendenhall. Another vote for Mendenhall. We have seen bears there the last three times we visited, especially on the East Glacier Trail 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonoma03 Posted April 25 #16 Share Posted April 25 On my last Alaska trip in June 2018, we saw a bear along the side of the road (within 6 feet) while riding the public bus back to town from Mendenhall Glacier. We also took a jet boat adventure tour to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Haines from our port of Skagway (took a ferry from Skagway to Haines), and we saw 8 bears foraging on the banks along the river, including a mother with 2 cubs. That was an unexpected surprise. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jcathers1 Posted May 13 #17 Share Posted May 13 When do bears typically awaken from hibernation? We will be in Alaska in late may/early June, so wondering if they will even have emerged yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Aurora Posted May 13 #18 Share Posted May 13 4 hours ago, jcathers1 said: When do bears typically awaken from hibernation? We will be in Alaska in late may/early June, so wondering if they will even have emerged yet. Males tend to emerge earlier than females, but by late April they are out and about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focacta Posted May 19 #19 Share Posted May 19 I live in Ketchikan and bears are hit and miss, unless you leave you trash out... If you want to guarantee bears here go on a Taquan Air flight to Anan Creek where you land and walk up to a bear viewing. Otherwise the big spot is Herring Cove at the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. July is the start of better bear viewing but if you don’t see bears this company gives half your money back through the cruise line bookings. If you don’t see bears their site is awesome and you’ll enjoy it there regardless as they have wild birds, a large walkway and viewing platform, totems and gift shop. Good luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focacta Posted May 19 #20 Share Posted May 19 On 5/13/2024 at 8:20 AM, jcathers1 said: When do bears typically awaken from hibernation? We will be in Alaska in late may/early June, so wondering if they will even have emerged yet. Bears come out March/April but for viewing they don’t start bear tours until late June/early July because that’s when salmon are coming in heavier so they are walking during the day more. Best of luck because you can definitely see them then but it may end up being in some random spot and not on a tour! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Saint Greg Posted June 9 #21 Share Posted June 9 Neets Bay from Ketchikan was pretty good. Black bears only. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Saint Greg Posted June 9 #22 Share Posted June 9 On 4/18/2024 at 7:38 PM, Kat915 said: I have been on bear search in Hoonah twice. No bears. I’m doing that one and the other Ketchikan one in August. I don’t think either will be as good as neets. But Hoonah will give me a chance to maybe see brown bears and the other Ketchikan one will give me a chance to maybe see black bears climbing trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sambamama Posted June 24 #23 Share Posted June 24 It depends if you are looking to see black bears or brown bears (grizzlies.) I've seen many black bears all over the US and Canada, but I've never seen a grizzly. Its harder to see grizzlies. I'm booked on a grizzly spotting tour next year, but its part of my 20 day land tour after my Alaska cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonoma03 Posted July 7 #24 Share Posted July 7 On my last Alaska cruise in June 2018, we saw grizzlies twice. We saw one right along the road while riding the bus back from Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. We saw multiple bears along the river bank while on a Chilkat River jet boat tour in Haines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise-a-Hallic Posted July 9 #25 Share Posted July 9 We saw three black bears from the bus between Juneau port and airport this past June 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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