Prince of Wales Bear Viewing Tour

PRICES:
$475 Per Person

Book Prince of Wales Bear Viewing

The Experience

Enjoy Ketchikan bear viewing and let SeaWind Aviation take you westward out of Ketchikan by seaplane towards Prince of Wales Island, the third-largest island in the United States. On the 20-minute flight, you will see the islands and waterways that make up this portion of the Inside Passage and your pilot will narrate along the way. After you touch down in Polk Inlet, a long finger of saltwater where Dog Salmon Creek meets the sea, you will meet your personal Alaska Bear Guide. Your guide will drive you about one mile down a United States Forest Service (USFS) road to a trailhead. You will be safely escorted down the trail (approximately 250 yards) to the Dog Salmon Creek Bear Viewing platform. It is in this creek that four species of salmon come to spawn and drives the bears to the area. Along the trail, your guide will point out the flora, fauna, berries, and trees as well as any wildlife you encounter.

USFS Facility

The Dog Salmon Creek Bear Viewing observatory is maintained by the USFS whose policy allows bear tours from late July into mid-September. We operate our bear viewing tours from the beginning of August through early-September in order to maximize the peak of the bear viewing season. To protect this delicate habitat, only a small number of visitors are allowed on the platform at one time and there is a restriction for the total number of visitors per day. As a result, you are guaranteed an intimate and awe-inspiring experience. An opportunity to visit this location is an opportunity not to be missed! It is as advised to book this tour as early as possible due to this strict availability.

The Highlights

  • Visit a USFS bear viewing facility on Prince of Wales Island.
  • There is a high likelihood of seeing wildlife.
  • Enjoy a nature walk of approximately ¼ mile round trip.
  • An experienced Alaska Bear Guide will accompany you.
  • The trip includes a round trip flight over the Inside Passage.
  • Personalized narration.
  • Headsets have interactive two-way communication during the flight.
  • Tour length is 3 hours with up to 45 minutes of flying.
  • Click on image to the left to watch a video of this tour.
  • Click on any image to start a slideshow.

The Amenities

Upon arrival to the platform, you will be at a prime vantage point to see Alaska’s REAL fisherman! First, watch the true champions of nature – the 4 species of salmon battling in the last part of their life, to arrive upstream to spawn. They are fighting not just the swift current but also the bears. See the black bears that are fattening up for winter, plunge into the rushing water, jaws wide to eat the wild salmon. Besides bears feeding, you are also likely to see Bald Eagles and Ravens feeding on salmon scraps left over by the bears. Your naturalist / guide will answer any questions you have about the local wildlife, flora and fauna.

Book Your Prince of Wales Bear Viewing Tour Today

PRICES:
$475 Per Person
DURATION:
3 – 3.5 hours
OFFERED ONLY BETWEEN:
July 22- Sept 15

“Great Flight and Bears on Prince of Wales Island”

“My wife and I had booked a tour with one of SeaWind Aviation’s competitors who had to cancel at the last minute. However, they did not leave us out in the cold. They contacted SeaWind who scheduled us at the last minute and gave us a great tour. Leslie made sure we were ready and comfortable when the plane arrived and the flights were some of the smoothest I have ever had. There were a total of five of us on the 8 passengers DeHavilland Beaver. We were met on the island by our guide named Diamond. He is a long time Ketchikan resident (since the 30s) who was delightful. His knowledge of the area is amazing. We were able to see several black bears fishing including a mother and her twin cubs. My last photo at the stream is of two bears fishing with a bald eagle sitting in a tree overhead. Both on the way to the island and back we saw whales below us. Each time the pilot circled so we could watch and take photos.Doesn’t get much better than that! Highly recommend this company.”

— TripAdvisor Review

“Outstanding excursion to see bears!!”

“This excursion was booked after our helicopter/glacier tour got canceled due to weather…and I’m so glad we did it! The flight was stunning and smooth! The scenery was just spectacular, especially when we landed! Our guide was excellent…The treck through the rain forest to the viewing platform was very smooth and absolutely gorgeous! We saw 5 black bears and a cub! They fished and ate – the mama fed her baby – we saw two of them get into a brief skirmish over their fishing spot!! It was one of our favorite excursions!”

— TripAdvisor Review

“Bear watching on Prince of Wales Island via float plane!”

“Absolutely superb, fantastic flight, fantastic guide (Drew) and we saw black bears !! The bright blue sky and sun helped also !!”

— TripAdvisor Review
Anan Bear Tour
4-5 hours • $795 pp

Not sure which flight’s for you?

Don’t worry, our staff have all flown SeaWind’s many tours and can provide experience and guidance firsthand on which tour is right for you and the company you bring.

Call us today to speak with a SeaWind Guide: 907-225-1206

Questions? Read our FAQs

SeaWind Aviation