Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search
Wildlife and Bear Search
September 10, 2023
Absolutely loved this excursion mainly due to our host Ray and his knowledge of the country and the stories he shared with us. Saw one brown bear which was exciting - I think we would have been disappointed if we hadn’t spotted this guy 🐻
Reviewer: Jayne Cordy
We saw Bears!
September 05, 2023
Had very knowledgeable guide despite his only 24 years of age. Loved every minute on this tour. Started on time and was back to the ship with no issues.
Reviewer: Nicolette Rozmarynowski
Highly recommend - Relaxed and enjoyable
September 04, 2023
Mike was an excellent tour guide - very knowledgeable and about the area history and wildlife. Areas we toured were amazing and teeming with wildlife.
Reviewer: Jane Huetter
Epic
August 05, 2023
We had an excellent tour guide and even when we did not see bears, we learned a lot. But when we saw the bears it was even better. Had one walk right down the street toward us.
Reviewer: John
Great Bear search
June 28, 2023
Friendly , really knowledgeable guide. We found a Bear coming about 10-15ft from our van.
Reviewer: Ashley C Fernando
Fantastic guide and experience
June 23, 2023
This tour was amazing we got to see a mated pair of coastal brown bears up close and we saw another bear just lounging in the distance. We also saw bald eagles and beautiful scenery. Our guide was awesome. He patiently answered our daughter and all the guests questions. He knew about all the local history and great spots to see wildlife. He taught us about the local plants and culture. Definitely worth the time.
Reviewer: Andrea H
Awesome tour
May 30, 2023
You see a lot of nature, wild Alaska, off the beaten path. We did not see bears because it was probably a little too early in the season but we saw lots of other wildlife. Guide was a male tribal leader so had a very authentic experience with him showing us Alaska.
Reviewer: jeane cole
Great local guide!
October 20, 2022
Our group of 8 enjoyed this tour with our local Tlingit guide. He shared a lot of local knowledge of the community and the flora and fauna. He gave his best effort, but even though we were unable to find any bears, our group thoroughly enjoyed the day!
Reviewer: Kim Lueck
Beautiful Alaska
September 29, 2022
This was a very nice, small group excursion. Although we only saw 1 bear, our guide provided information on the area and his native culture. We walked a trail that was beautiful. We went where the bears are often seen, but, it wasn't our day. We were very please with our tour and hightly recommend this excursion. If we get to Icy Strait, again, we will definitely book this excursion.
Reviewer: Kim Dorsey
Very nice ecursion to be recoomended
September 29, 2022
We had as guide a tribal leader who knew a lot of the wildlife and the local culture which he loved to share. He was in contact with other people who had seen bears earlier in the day and checked out those locations. Unfortunately did we not see any bears as it was aready late in the season. It was a small group of 8 people in a nice comfortable van. The only negative is that NCL is not on the main pier in Icy Strait Point and the directions to get to the meeting point were only from the main pier whch caused some confusion as you needed to do a walk of over 15 minutes through the woods to get to the meeting point (the cable cars were not functioning which would have made all a lot easier). So I suggest to include that in the meeting instructions. The guide was very patient and waited until all had arrived at the meeting point and did not cut short the excursion but instead extended the excursion time after he asked if everybody was okay with it. So overall a very positive experience.
Reviewer: Jean Marie Pfennings
Icing on the cake!
August 30, 2022
My seven year old daughter and I took this tour while visiting in Aug 2022. We had the best day ever! We saw a mama bear with her two cubs and then saw a bear come out of the woods, catch a salmon, eat the salmon and then explore the stream right below the bridge we were standing on! We also saw eagles, Sitka deer and whales on our tour! Kimberly was a great guide - so knowledgeable about the wildlife, culture, plant life and life in Alaska! She even knew where to stop to get us fresh blueberries for a snack. This tour was the icing on the cake of a great time in Alaska!
Reviewer: Amie
BEAR SEARCH
July 27, 2022
We had a truly excellent time - even though we did not see any bear - it was not for lack of trying! The tour conductor, kimberly was fantasic! we had a great time- next time lets see a bear!
Reviewer: Janet Neely
Bear search
July 12, 2022
Our guide was a local young man who knew exactly where to take us. Very informative. We watched a Momma and cub for about an hour. Fascinating! Then we saw 4 bears on the way back, just walking down the dirt road. Several bald eagles and the scenery was beautiful.
Reviewer: Candace (Candy) Gesemyer
Best Excursion on the whole Cruise
August 16, 2021
Frank was absolutely hands down the best tour guide ever! We saw six or seven Bears, I actually lost count! Also we got to see two deer! Frank is so familiar with the island he knew all the best places to go! The group was small which was wonderful! Frank was very knowledgeable about all the wildlife and vegetation! This excursion was the BEST one out of all of them we did! Thank you SO very much for making our cruise spectacular!
Reviewer: Jennifer Souter
Up close and personal with the bears!
December 30, 2019
This small group tour gave us an excellent chance to get up close with the bears. The guide knew the area very well, and had a series of vantage points lined up for optimum sighting opportunities. Our first bear sighting was from a bridge overlook, which allowed the group to safely obtain numerous close up photos and video footage, while feeling completely secure around the wildlife. We also hiked down to the river's edge for an opportunity for a more intimate bear encounter. The guide was very conscientious and safety-oriented, which was reassuring considering the unpredictability of these large bears. Wouldn't hesitate to book this again on the next visit!
Reviewer: Nicole & Andrew
GOOD TOUR
November 16, 2019
THE TRIP WAS EXCITING. WE SAW A BEAR IN A SHORT DISTANCE!
Reviewer: Dating Liu
Great try but no bears
September 29, 2019
The driver spent 4-1/2 hours taking us all over the area. We saw some great country, some tracks and scat but no bears. He did his best but is wasn’t our day.
Reviewer: Chuck Evans
Wildlife Search
August 27, 2019
While we only saw one bear on this tour, our guide was so knowledgeable and was full of interesting information about the way of life they lead. Our guide truly made this enjoyable.
Reviewer: Don Gibson
Saw three bears and great guide!
August 20, 2019
This was a wonderful excursion. The guide told us we had a 50% chance to see a bear, so we were prepared to be unlucky. We didn't see any bears for 2/3 of the tour, but the guide kept us well entertained about bears, the village, nature and his own story. He was great. Then, we saw a huge bear in a river; and then a cub at the bottom of a bridge. And finally, going back to town, we saw a bear just walking down the road! He didn't seem to mind we were behind him. It was an amazing experience.
My only recommendation: the guide should tell people that if they see a bear, they should not move and be quiet. The first bear ran away because one lady started running and screaming "there's a bear!!!". I'm sure she meant well but it kind of ruined the experience for others.
Other than that, great tour!
Reviewer: Jean-Michel Langlois
Sightseeing for bears and wildlife
August 14, 2019
This tour was great. We saw 6 bears, eagles, deer. Our guide Luke was very informative and fun. I highly recommend. Also recommend Fisherman's Daughter to eat.
Reviewer: Tara Batson
Very Good Tour But No Bears
August 14, 2019
Our guide Luke did his best but the lack of rain in this whole area of Alaska has meant the salmon streams are too low and the salmon are waiting to go upstream ... no salmon means very few bears at the prime viewing points ... a long drive through the bush with no photos ... an earlier group in the early morning saw the bears before they went back into the bush.
Reviewer: Thomas King
Bear Search a Bust, but still a good tour
August 09, 2019
So, we never did see a bear … lots of evidence of bear activity, but no actual bears. Now, that being said … our guide was a local with a LOT of information, and we did get to see a lot of Hoonah (Icy Strait). And, he did his best … talking and coordinating with other drivers, but NO ONE was seeing bears that day. It was also warmer than normal, and that could have been a factor. We would take this tour again.
Reviewer: Allen Harris
Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search
July 30, 2019
Our tour guide Levi was excellent. He kept us entertained with stories about the area and the wildlife. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon with him. We saw some beautiful scenery and lots of bald eagles, unfortunately no bear but we did see "evidence" of bears. We would do this tour again any time.
Reviewer: Kathy Mattison
Bears and berries
July 26, 2019
Our guide(Hot shot) did a great job and worked very hard to finally find us a bear. Along the way we enjoyed his descriptions of the terrain and the abundance of salmon berries he found for us. We would definitely do it again.
Reviewer: Louis Wisniewski
wildlife
July 21, 2019
Never saw a bear but did see black tailed deer and eagles. Spent over 4 hours riding through woods.
The native tour guide was outstanding.
Reviewer: james reardon
Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search
July 15, 2019
Learned a great deal about plants, animals, and Native American traditions in Hoonah. Learned what kinds of trail bears leave in the woods, and along the side of the road. I wished I had known to bring a lunch along to eat as we explored Icy Strait Point! I also wish there had been more than 1 bathroom stop in 5 hours!
Reviewer: Sita Khufu
Awesome!
June 24, 2019
Well organized, more enjoyable as it was a small group; driver was in constant contact with other vehicles regarding sightings and stayed out longer to ensure we had sight of a bear. I was able to sit in the front seat of the vehicle which meant when we did finally see a bear, I had an awesome view of it resulting in great pictures. Highly recommended!
guide was well informed but would have been helpful to have more information from the guide about the bears
Reviewer: Mary Bagshaw
Wildlife and bear search
June 23, 2019
Mike was an excellent guide. He had all kinds of stories and information regarding plants, wildlife and native customs to share with us. We saw bears on 2 separate occasions, albeit they were about 400 yards away, and also saw a deer from about 50 feet at one point. I would recommend this tour.
Reviewer: Barry Dennington
Bears!
June 17, 2019
Yes, we really did see bears! They were from a distance, but we could easily recognize them. Toward the end of our tour, there was on right at the edge of the road. Wow!
Reviewer: Neal and Suzanne Applegate
Wonderful day
May 24, 2019
Our lovely guide,Mike ,with help from his brother and nephew, was able to locate 5 bears for us to observe in their natural habitat. We sat in his van for 30 minutes, watching 2 ,2yr old siblings eating only 10 metres away! We also saw a very big male bear, running down the road in front of the van, chasing a female. Mike's local knowledge also taught us lot's about the flora and diets of the indigenous people. I would highly recommend this trip.
Reviewer: Elizabeth Frost
Excellent experience
March 21, 2019
We had a wonderful time on this small group shore excursion. There were 6 of us in a range vehicle with our driver/guide, who was very knowledgeable . We saw several bears in their natural habitat, and learned the cues to watch them .
Reviewer: Symphony OKeefe
Amazing guide & awesome tour
October 27, 2018
Our guide had fully prepared us in how to stay safe when we reached our first stop. Our group adhered to all of his instructions and we were always the first van to arrive. We saw several bears and he got us close enough to get some really great photos. Recommend this tour to everyone!
Reviewer: Debbie G
Bears Galore
September 30, 2018
What a great outing!!! Our guide, Mike knew where to find bears and taught us not only about bears but also Alaska. He has lived in and raised a family in Alaska. We saw 2 male brown bears as well as a female brown bear with her two cubs. We watched and photographed them for a long time. We also saw Eagles. Definitely a top choice for excursions.
Reviewer: Dianne Bourne
Six Bears
September 22, 2018
Our guide Mike was very knowledgeable. We saw six bears total great day. Loved the small group.
Reviewer: Connie
Great tour -great tour guide
September 20, 2018
"Mike" was our tour guide and local resident of Hoonah this was a wonderful tour, a total of 5 bears were seen,one feeding on salmon in a creek the others down by a river we walked down to and saw a mother and 2 cubs and another large male. Fantastic tour !!
Reviewer: Larry Edaward Winterton
Excellent+++ Excursion!
September 17, 2018
Our tour guide Luke was extraordinary!! His ability to locate where the bears would be active was exceptional! I especially appreciated that the tour group was not a large group of people on a bus. Luke was able to caterer to our needs and wants given the size of our group! I would HIGHLY recommend this excursion to anyone that wants to see bears up close. However, we were always safe and secure.
Reviewer: Earl Bernard
Excellent guide
September 10, 2018
Loved the flexibility and guide for our small group. He went to where the bears had been spotted so we saw lots of bears, and learned a lot about them and the island. I'm so glad we did this tour instead of the big bus cruise line tour that only goes to pre-determined viewpoints. Got some great photos
Reviewer: Donna
Awesome Day
September 03, 2018
Our guide Mike did a great job and made our day. The bears were not as plentiful due to a late salmon run but he found us one. We saw other wildlife and also saw salmon spooning. After hearing from others on the ship that had taken the Princess excursion we were very glad we chose this one.
Reviewer: Ron Tincher
Wildlife and Bear Search
August 27, 2018
We enjoyed the trip and saw adult and "teenage" bears foraging or fishing. The youngster provided great movie material, with his inexperience at catching fish. The sample of home smoked salmon provided by the guide was really tasty.
Reviewer: suzanne roxburgh
Great adventure
August 27, 2018
Our guide Mike was great. He shared a great deal of knowledge with us. We were lucky enough to see a mother bear and her two cubs. We were briefed on safety procedures and we felt safe with the knowledge that our guide displayed.
Reviewer: Barbara Trombley
We found three bears
August 20, 2018
Excellent tour. We found three bears. We are a small group of five people. The guide is very friendly and tried his best to find the bears. All of us on the vehicle like him. Highly recommend!
Reviewer: Cathy
Hiking to see bears-amazing
August 20, 2018
Luke was our guide and he was great. He was very knowledgeable about the area and entertaining with his stories. We first went to a bridge where they had been seeing bears, when we didn't see any our group piled into the cab and went hiking. Luke, armed with a gun for our protection, took us to a trail up river where we hiked then to a stream. A mother and her two cubs came wandering up, they were 30 feet from us. Highlight of our trip.
Reviewer: Lara Zolton
Wildlife and bears
August 20, 2018
Our guide Jeff was extremely knowledgeable about the area and we were able to see 8 bears. The water levels were low and the salmon were not as plentiful so we did not see as many bears as I had hoped, but we were able to get some amazing photos of a Mom and her cub.
Reviewer: Kelly murphy
8 bears in all!
August 13, 2018
Our small group of 6 was led by Jeff and did not disappoint!!! Stopped in several locations and was fortunate to see Bears each time!! Very knowledgeable guide about local culture and history. Please stop by his shop in Icy Strait to experience his totem carving skills and his wife Lisa’s beautiful artwork!!
Reviewer: Kelly Murphy
Not quite what I expected
August 03, 2018
It was easy to find our guide and he was excellent in providing information about Icy Strait Point and the flora and fauna of the area. Our small group was great and we enjoyed our time on the tour.
However the excursion was described as being "moderate" and the dress suggestion recommended sensible hiking or walking shoes and to dress in layers. I thought that we would be mostly walking, but it turned out that we rode in the van for about 3.5 hours and walked maybe 100 yards during our restroom break. You could have worn flip flops and shorts and t-shirts and been fine.
We did see one bear, a few eagles and lots of wild flowers. If you want to hike, this excursion is not for you, but if you want to ride in a van, then this is for you.
Reviewer: DLG
An exciting search
July 23, 2018
Our tour guide, Luke, was very personable. I loved that we were a small group rather than a giant coach bus. This allowed us to move a bit more quickly and visit more of the island. There were several hunters (guests) in our bus who were able to keep eyes peeled in search of bears. We were able to watch a few. These animals are huge! We were a few weeks early for salmon season so probably no where near the excitement as during that time of year, but still a very worthwhile sidetrip!
Reviewer: Susan
What an amazing day!
July 23, 2018
This tour was absolutely fantastic. Not only did we enjoy very up close viewing of a sow and her 2 cubs, but our amazing guide gave us a wonderful sense of life on the island, with extensive looks and information on a vast array of animals and plant life. Do not miss this tour!
Reviewer: Lisa Pensa
Great time and friendly people.
July 16, 2018
Great time and friendly people.
Reviewer: Michael Molina
Bears Close Up
July 16, 2018
This was one of the best paid excursion that I have been on. The group was a perfect size (10) and the tour leader was extremely knowledgeable and an integral part of the community. He knew everybody we passed and exactly where to go find the bears. I would definitely recommend this small excursion group rather than a large bus cruise excursion. We were able to get up close with the bears and had good narration of the life of bears and the entire area/residents of Icy Point/Hoonah. He really made this Port stop an excellent time.
Reviewer: Keith Gonzalez
Excellent tour
July 09, 2018
Our tour guide Mike knew exactly where to go to see bears. We spent about 40-45 minutes watching a mother bear and her 2 one year old cubs from a distance of about 4-12 feet (from inside a vehicle, of course). This tour far exceeded our expectations!
Reviewer: K&J Gonzalez
Early June 2018 - Icy Strait Point Alaska
June 25, 2018
As the salmon run hadn’t started wasn’t expecting to see bears. Our excellent guide had other ideas! We saw 2 groups of mother and 2 cubs and spent over an hour watching at close range. An incredible experience - the highlight of the cruise holiday
Reviewer: Richard Geraghty
Travel Agent
June 11, 2018
Really enjoyed this and would recommend it to others
Reviewer: Dianne Luna
bear search
June 11, 2018
Great excursion, small group, personal touch. Didn't think we would find any bears; early in the year before the salmon run. But we were having a great time so didn't care. Finding mother and two cubs eventually made a fun day even more memorable!!!
Reviewer: Carol Currie
Alaska's Best Excursion Ever
October 11, 2017
Wow...Alaska...first thing we saw a mama bear and her 3 cubs....what a sight! And it continued from there, 6 bears all together...one of them only 8ft away eating another bear that was killed the night before. Our guide was super, full of information and allowed us to experience it all in it's true state but was also cautious. A little scary but at the same time we felt safe with our guide since he carried a rifle the whole time. Our group was only 8 adults. An experience that we will never forget!
Reviewer: V&B
Our Bear Search
October 09, 2017
My husband and I boarded a small van with around 6 others, and went looking for bear. Our excellent native guide found a family of bears for us to view, as well as deer, and other bears and variousI wildlife to view. Our guide was fantastic, he made the tour well worth the money. He had so much information to share.
Reviewer: Elizabeth Baxt
Exclusive Wildlife & Bear Search
October 07, 2017
Local tour guide with much knowledge. At first just a couple deer & after driving a long way got a I could have dreamed for. Got out of vehicle & across the stream was a mother bear with her 2 cubs with the with her 3 year old cub straggling behind. We could stay a long as we wanted taking great pictures & video's.
Reviewer: Donna Schramm
Wildlife and Bear Search
October 06, 2017
it was good, we saw bears. didn't care that we were racing around with other vans - and the vans weren't too comfortable.
Reviewer: M Tillis
great excursion
September 27, 2017
super excursion we loved it
Reviewer: Garry Leschyshyn
Not enough bears!
September 08, 2017
It may have been happenstance, but it was a pleasant day. The driver was very nice and we covered a lot of territory. Did see a large eagle's nest with a young one. Saw the salmon jumping out of the water, seeking their origin stream. Also how the tidal areas filled with water. Only one bear, walking up the road ahead of our vehicle for a bit. Driver did provide insights and information on the area and the history. Ride could have been shorter.
Reviewer: Joel Weddig
Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search
August 31, 2017
We saw several bear and dear. So we got some great pictures, even got exciting when the bear came up on the road, our guide handled the situation very professionally.
Reviewer: James Elliott
Best Excursion of our Trip
August 29, 2017
Our driver Luke made the trip awesome. The first thing we did was stop on the side of the road and watch 6 whales swim by. Then he told us all about his island and drove us to all the places that the bears have been spotted. We saw many signs of bears and a couple up the stream but blocked by trees and Luke just stayed out there with us way past the time of the excursion. Finally, this big bear just walked down the river right to us, went under the bridge and then on the other side, jumped on a salmon and took it into the woods to eat it. It would have been a wonderful day just being in the beautiful Alaskan wilderness, but that just topped it all off. We were all so happy for Luke, too, because he worked so hard to give us this outstanding day. Then we all went to lunch together and had a great time. We went on many great excursions during our 10 days in Alaska, but this was the best by far and mostly because Luke made it so much fun.
Reviewer: Mary Jo Diefenthaler
Luke is amazing at finding Bear
August 14, 2017
Our guide, Luke, was determined to show us live wild brown bear and he came through. We saw 4 bear. One large 500 lb brown bear came in to a creek we were at watching the salmon run and we watched the bear catch and eat salmon. So cool to see. That was my nat geo moment. This excursion was a highlight of my trip to Alaska. Thank you Luke.
Reviewer: Lynn Dettman
Very good tour..
July 18, 2017
Our guide, Luke, who lives on the island made the difference. He worked very hard to show us bears, eventually we saw a grizzly. He also educated us on plants, local lifestyle and saw bald eagles.
Reviewer: Vik
Nine Bears, count 'em.
June 29, 2017
A 10 minute walk from the ship at 7:00AM, we met Luke, our guide and driver. Luke did a fine job of telling us what to expect, and spotting bears along the way. There were eight of us in a van that could hold ten people. We rode on gravel roads to the other side of the island. Along the way, we sighted a total of nine bears. The bears feed on vegetation in the woods and on the side of the road. They pretty much ignored us. We were able to get out of the van at times and take pictures as long as a reasonable distance was maintained. Luke took a "guide rifle" (short barrel 45 caliber), every time we got out of the van, just in case.The highlight of our trip was bear#9, who was so close to the van that my wife was able to shoot several portrait shots of him. I would say this excursion surpassed our expectations. Luke said that they usually spot five or six bears.
Reviewer: Matt B. Cincinnati
Definitely a must do in Icy Strait
December 02, 2016
Our tour was better than one could expect. we saw 14 different bear doing everything from catching and eating salmon in the streams to blueberries in the thickets, We saw one guy resting on a hillside. We even had them walk in front of us on the road. Our guide Lucas Meyers made the excursion. So knowledgeable of the bears and their habitat.
Reviewer: Mike Mahon
Bears Don't Like The Sun!
November 20, 2016
Setting aside the confusion created by our cruise line switching the order of port visits, we had a good excursion.
Ironically, the fine weather let us down: it was too warm for the bears! We were lucky - Luke eventually found us two down in a shaded gorge (not ideal for catching that photo of a life-time). Others never saw a single bear on their tours.
Luke was entertaining, informative and careful to maintain a high standard of safety at all times. He was great company and a good source of stories and information.
Hearing a brown bear crunching on salmon is not something we will forget and the same goes for him looking directly at us across the water.
At least the fine weather made for excellent scenery appreciation: the drive across the island was beautiful.
A very enjoyable excursion, rounded off with a couple of beers (not bears) at the ISP brewery! But next time maybe we will book a few more clouds to keep the bears cool and encourage them out into the open...
Reviewer: Nigel & Liane
A Beautiful drive with a great guide
November 19, 2016
We fully enjoyed this trip. We started by following a pod of whales along the shore from our ship to town and then crossed the peninsula to the Pacific coast looking for wildlife. We watched a large bear fishing for 20 minutes, or so, and saw salmon spawning inseveral streams. It's beautiful country, but our guide Luc was the best part. Great guy. We had lunch back in town with Luc, which was very nice and then he took us back.
Reviewer: Robert P Weissburg
Beautiful Island
November 19, 2016
Our guide provided good information about the island, the lifestyles of the people who live there, and the nature around us. We didn't hit the high time for bears - saw 3, but learned about the salmon they crave and saw some spawning sites.
Reviewer: Sally Ryan
Bears
November 17, 2016
We drove around for quite a while, but did get to see some bear--salmon interactions. Enjoyed having a native guide.
Reviewer: Karla
Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search
November 12, 2016
Our driver was very good---it was a long way to ride--but we did finally see bear! Great scenery--enjoyed it. Only concern, was that the time to meet wasn't correct--and we were there over an hour early for the tour--Setting a definite time would have worked better...
Reviewer: Teri Hubert
Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search
August 30, 2016
Most enjoyable offshore excursion of the cruise!
Our guide, Luke showed us bears in 3 different places.
Vehicle was well kept and route was comfortable.
Very scenic and relaxing tour!!
Recommended to friends, to reserve this tour when planning an Alaska cruise.
Thank you!
Reviewer: Meeta Kohli
Icy Strait Point Highlight!
August 30, 2016
Our first time to Icy Strait Point and it was a great and very interesting stop. The shore excursion with our small group was exceptional. Great guide was well informed and interesting. We saw a number of bears which was really cool and the beauty of the land was awesome. Thanks.
Reviewer: Rod Berlin
Wild life and bears
July 26, 2016
Had a great time driving around looking for bears unfortunately we did not see one. Everything else was ok nothing flash Worth a go
Reviewer: Anonymous
Review
July 21, 2016
This was a good trip. The guide worked really hard to find us some bears.
Reviewer: NANCY POLAND
Recommend this experience
May 30, 2016
Guide very knowledgable, bears are not that easy to find, guide spent longer with us than advertised so we could get pictures of a bear. Saw a humpback a few feet off the beach, which was a bonus. Felt safe with guide even when on foot. A great experience
Reviewer: Sam
Best Bear Search EVER
August 31, 2015
Our guide had our safety as top priority but definitely did everything he could so that we were able to see some bears.
Reviewer: Shirley
Bill and Bears - a great combo!
August 17, 2015
Our guide Bill was great, a true story teller full of tales and experiences, taught us a lot about the Bears and growing up around the Bears on Icy Straights. We saw three bears at two different bridge stops, where one bear walked right under the bridge we stopped at. He caught salmon from the river and munched on it only 25 feet from us on the bridge safely above.
We also saw Eagles perched fairly close to the road and a deer. It was quit a bit of driving but Bill was determined to find us at least one bear!
Bears are not guaranteed but the earlier you start your search the better chance you have. We definitely got our money's worth.
Reviewer: JB
EXHILARATING BEAR SIGHTING EXPERIENCE
August 04, 2015
Our guide, Jacob, was persistence in his attempts to find a bear for us. It was a very bad day for bear sighting and we heard from other groups that they were not having any luck seeing any bear. We finally get to see a juvenile bear going down the river catching salmon with his paw. We video the whole thing!!! What also was wonderful to see was the relief and shine on Jacob's face. He was truly happy for us.
Reviewer: Glenda
Success! 2 bears and a good time
July 08, 2015
The guide was born and raised in the area and had great stories of the local scene. We were lucky - that's all there is to it - to se Bears. But once we found them, we hung around and enjoyed the experience for 45 minutes. All of us had a great time!
Reviewer: Jeff
Sounded Good but was Better
June 24, 2015
Well worth the time and expense.
Reviewer: lou the explorer
i would do over again
October 01, 2014
good wildlife friendly and knowledgable tour guide
Reviewer: Alaska revisitor
Fantastic!!
September 17, 2014
A great excursion! So informative, so beautiful. Saw bears!!
Reviewer: Mike
enjoyable tour
August 31, 2014
our guide was very nice - he worked like crazy to find us bears - they just weren't there until the very end of the tour and then only a mom and her baby. rooney took his time and extended our tour so he could expand the search. did see some beautiful scenery off the beaten path.
Reviewer: oldtimers on a bear hunt
Best guide
August 27, 2014
Knowledgeable guide, beautiful scenery, exciting stories from our guide.
Reviewer: Safmusic
Brown bear and Black tail deer
July 24, 2014
Misty was a great guide. I think we were the only van on the entire ship that actually saw a brown bear, and sitka black tail dear. It was too early for the salmon run so it was lucky that we saw what we did. She had great information and gave a great insight into life on the island. As soon as you get in the van and see the 45-70 rifle you know you are going backwoods. Thanks
Reviewer: Matt and Pat
We did see a bear
June 18, 2014
The guides tried very hard to find bears, providing a lots of info during the travel on a gravel roads through the forest.
Reviewer: Geno
Great Excursion + Great Value
June 19, 2013
Our tour guide Phil was great. We went at the end of May when the fish were not running so the bears were scarce but Phil was great and we finally saw a brown bear with her cub. Phil was friendly, knowledgable and just fun while we ""women"" gave him a hard time (just for fun)!
Reviewer: Karen
This tour is great!!!
July 31, 2012
Phil was the best guy...he loves the area...and his love for what he does shows!!!
Reviewer: Just me Denette