The Traitors Cove Bear Viewing experience begins with a short 20 minute floatplane flight over the lush wilderness of the Tongass National Forest. Your pilot will narrate along the way, pointing out key points in the area. After you touch down in Traitors Cove, you will be met on the floatplane dock by your personal Alaska Bear Guide who will drive you about one mile down a United States Forest Service (USFS) road to a trailhead. Your guide will safely escort you down the trail (approximately 250 yards) to the Margaret Creek Bear Viewing platform. Along the trail, your guide will point out the flora, fauna, berries and trees as well as any wildlife you encounter. Keep your eyes peeled all around – bald eagles and even bears are known to perch high above in the trees.
The Margaret Creek Bear Viewing observatory is maintained by the USFS whose policy allows bear tours from late July into late September. We operate our bear viewing tours from the beginning of August through mid-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 the strict availability.
Upon arrival to the platform, you will be at a prime vantage point to see Alaska’s REAL fisherman! Watch the true champions of the tour – the 5 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 fattening up for winter, plunge into the rushing water with jaws wide, to eat the wild salmon heading upstream to spawn. Besides bears feeding, you are also likely to see Bald Eagles 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.
PRICES:
$475 Per Person
DURATION:
3 hours
OFFERED ONLY BETWEEN:
July 22 – Sept 20
“My friend and I was on Regent Seven Seas Cruise and could not get onto the cruise-offered Bear tours in Ketchikan as they were all full. We then happened to try this Seawind Floatplane Bear Tour which was sold at the pier. It was a fantastic and well-organized tour. Seawind is a family operated aviation service run by Steve and Lesley Kamm. They were such nice people and you feel safe as well as being well taken care of at the same time. Not the big commercial feel at all. The guide, Drew, who went out with us to find bears was also extremely hospitable and professional at the same time. I am actually very happy that I did not get onto one of the big Regent groups – I am sure the Regent Tour would have been good too – it is just that there is a caring and non-big-corporate feel to the Seawind Aviation Bear Tour. WE SAW BLACK BEARS HUNTING SALMON ON THE RIVER AND WE WITNESSED A CATCH WHICH WAS FANTASTIC!! Drew was helpful throughout the tour to look for more bears (we saw cubs on trees with their mother keeping watch, too!). Overall a most wonderful tour.”
— TripAdvisor ReviewThis was our 2nd time in Ketchikan but we had never done any Seaplane trips that local companies advertised, however this time we decided to do it. We chose SeaWind Aviation bear trip. We had just came off the cruise and waited patiently for a Mini bus to pick us up. We got in the Mini bus and were greeted by a very pleasant local lady. It was about a 10 minute drive from the dock to where we were departing to see the bears. The Check-in building was small and cozy there were to 2 sofas and an area in the back were you could keep large bulky bags because they were not allowed on the aircraft. We flew in a de havilland Beaver flown by a former carrier pilot Fred. It was a short but memorable flight lasting about 20 minutes. Once we landed our guide (Who was hilarious) asked us to follow him into the forest. I advise everyone to wear appropriate shoes and bring mosquito spray. He took us through the forest to a viewing platform were we saw the beautiful black bears and bald eagles. It was an amazing experience and a must do.
— TripAdvisor ReviewDon’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
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