Bear Viewing and Wildlife Search

Overview

Bears! Bears! Bears!
Everyone coming to Alaska wants to see bears.

This is a chance to do so without flying in a small plane, taking a fast boat, or doing whatever is necessary to capture that opportunity.
Because the secret to finding bears is all about the salmon!

You will begin with an eight-mile coastal drive to the forest area of Herring Cove.
It sits within the Alaska Rain Forest Sanctuary and during your ride it will be clear to you how special this forest is - it is actually the largest national forest in the US.
Your guide will be waiting for you, ready to introduce you to the Alaska wilderness and when you are ready, you will begin your walking expedition to locate some of the black bears that made this area their home.

You will pass through tall growths of hemlock, spruce and cedar as you explore the sanctuary.
An elevated walkway trail will continue to lead you to a private viewing platform that overlooks Eagle Creek where the bears come to the stream to fish for salmon.
This really is the key to finding bears - go where they feed!
Nearby, the Whitman hatchery feeds into the river, which guarantees that the river will be teeming with salmon every summer.

It is fascinating to watch the bears but also the bald eagles perching above, waiting to come and feed on the scraps left by the bears.
Mink and marten and seals linger at the mouth of the stream, catching occasional fish that come within their reach.
It is an amazing scene to watch this natural act of nature that occurs when the fish run, usually starting in mid-July and through August and early September.
You return to the ship by the same scenic route.