Description
Explore the stunning landscape of Kodiak Island at the best times for viewing huge grizzlies.A thrilling specialist-led trip to see the biggest grizzlies ever in Katmai National Park in stunning natural surroundings.
Overview
Discover the Alaskan wilderness as you search for the largest grizzly bears in the world. Rivers bubble with spawning salmon as grizzlies swipe them from mid-air with their powerful jaws. Bears pepper the shorelines; fishing, foraging, playing and fighting. On this incredible trip you explore rocky coves and vibrant coasts on Kodiak Island and in Katmai National Park, travelling via private boat trips, cruisers and even on foot, walking among the magnificent Ursus arctos.
What makes this trip extraordinary
- Ability to cruise to wherever the bears are on the Grizzly Cruiser.
- Explore Katmai National Park and witness grizzly bears on foot.
- Potential of seeing grizzly bears in massive numbers.
- Discover Kodiak’s native and Russian heritage.
Itinerary
Arrive in Kodiak
Today is the first day of your trip. If you choose to arrive early, one of our local representatives will accompany you to explore Kodiak’s native and Russian heritage at some of the local museums and visitor centres. Destinations of interest may include the National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Centre, St. Paul Harbour, Baranov Museum, Alutiiq Museum, Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park. After your cultural day, head back to your hotel to meet your fellow travellers at an informal orientation dinner.
Overnight: Best Western Kodiak Inn (D)
Wildlife watching in Kodiak
Today you head out with the group to explore Kodiak’s coastal waters and rocky shorelines on a private boat trip. You will journey to Kodiak’s protected inner island, past tidal pools and offshore kittiwake rookeries. Here you will spot sea lions, otters, puffins, bald eagles and oftentimes whales. Kodiak is remote and therefore not often visited by travellers to Alaska. This gives you the chance to have unique encounters with nature and wildlife as you glide through the rockbound coves. Enjoy a picnic lunch ashore and spend some time on the coastal trail, lined with wildflowers and Sitka spruce trees. This evening you will have a gourmet home-cooked dinner aboard the boat.
Overnight: Best Western Kodiak Inn (B, L, D)
Kodiak - Katmai National Park
Today, depending on the weather conditions, you will take a floatplane from Kodiak to Kukak Bay, to meet your ship. The plane pulls up right alongside, and you disembark to board the vessel that will be your floating home for the next few days. Cruise slowly along the shore toward Hallo Bay, where coastal grizzly bears are commonly found foraging for food. As you are on a mobile ship, you can cruise to wherever the bears are residing that day, following them from bay to bay.
Overnight: Grizzly Cruiser / M/V Ursus (B, L, D)
Explore Katmai on the Grizzly Cruiser
Explore the beaches on foot and see them putting on a show as they fill up on enough protein-rich food to prepare them for a long winter in hibernation. Depending on the time of your visit, you may see large groups of bears up to 30 or 40 and perhaps even bears mating or cubs gallivanting on the shore. In coastal Katmai you will travel on foot rather than using vehicles which allows much more exciting wildlife encounters. Carefully wander the area in your small group under the cautious guidance of your Expedition Leader. On Day 7 you will return to Kodiak by floatplane.
Overnight: Grizzly Cruiser / M/V Ursus (B, L, D)
Katmai National Park - Kodiak
Return home today from Kodiak. We recommend that you do not book an early morning flight out in case inclement weather prevents you from flying back to Kodiak on Day 7 as planned.
Accommodation
- Best Western Kodiak Inn
- Grizzly Cruiser/M/V/ Ursus
Cancellation Policy
Life is unpredictable and we understand that sometimes you have to cancel or change your trip dates and it is our endeavor to make it as easy as possible for you. However, please understand that we plan everything including guide fees, permits, accommodation, and ration in advance. Therefore, any cancellation means inconvenience and certain losses to the people involved in various stages of the program. Keeping that in mind, our cancellation charges are as below,
- Cancellations prior to 30 days from the start of the event: Full refund as cash.
- Cancellations between 30 days and 15 days to the start of the event: 50 % refund as cash.
- Cancellations less than 15 days to the start of the event: No refund.
- Cancellations will be accepted only by email.
Note: We reserve the right to cancel a program before departure in the event of logistical problems arising due to natural calamities, strikes, wars or any other circumstances that make the event inadvisable. In this case, we will refund 50% of the event fees.
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