Bears of Katmai Immersion Experience

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Bears of Katmai Immersion Experience

Bears of Katmai Immersion Experience

KATMAI NATIONAL PARK, U.S.A.

In 2023, bears will once again be the main focus of our expeditions. On these trips, a charted float plane (fare included) may be used to bring you to or from the Island C, which will spend most of the summer on location on the Katmai coast.

If you don't see the dates you're looking for, please Contact us with your travel requirements or consider a custom charter (availability is limited).

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Dates

Details
A Sample Itinerary

Your GMX experience typically begins with a spectacular flight seeing trip ending in rendezvous with our ship in Katmai National Park. With help from our pilots we will see to your needs from the moment you arrive in Kodiak to the moment you leave the island. You'll take shuttle service from the airport or hotel (we do recommend arriving a day early) to the float plane terminal terminal, where you’ll fly in a DeHavilland Beaver (pictured) to the Island C’s location. On this flight you will cross over the northernmost part of Kodiak's archipelago offering views of Kodiak in its full radiance. Sometimes, we based on the ship's schedule, we reverse this and fly guests OUT of the park after the trip, capping off a spectacular week of up-close experiences with a bird's eye view of this magnificent landscape. Sometimes, we'll fly you in both directions.

We'll email you weeks in advance the details of how you'll get to the Island C, and instructions for getting there. All chartered flights are included in the rates, and all Katmai Immersion experiences are intended to maximize field time on the "Bear Coast" whether we get there by air or by sea.

In addition to the stunning landscapes, you will likely see the first whales of your trip on this flight. As you begin across Shelikof Strait, your pilot will turn toward the distant ice fields of the Alaska Peninsula. Here you take in your first views of the Katmai coast. Your plane will touch down in Geographic Harbor, Hallo Bay or Kukak Bay depending on a number of factors, including the dates of your travel but also the weather, timing of the salmon runs, and distribution of bears. From there we’ll orient you to the boat, show you to your stateroom, and get you out in the field on the very first day.

The emphasis on this trip is bears (hence the name). We normally move to a new location every 2-3 days on average, though there are exceptions. Sometimes we stay longer in one place either because the activity is too spectacular to leave behind, or occasionally because weather conditions keep us there. In a week’s time you can experience the full breadth of this unforgettable coast and watch marine and terrestrial species act out dramatic scenes in this unforgettable landscape.

It's not all bears, though. The best way to understand the Katmai coast is to try to take in the entire coastal ecosystem, which includes marine mammals and dozens of species of birds,. all of which either share a food source for the bears, or are themselves a source of the bear's diverse diet.

The Island C's purpose-built skiff brings us from the vessel to shore, as there are no docks or piers along this wild coast. The first few steps at the beginning and end of each outing are in knee deep water, and we'll provide a steadying hand where needed. Because of this transition from skiff to shore we outfit each of our guests with waders and wading boots at the beginning of the trip, which you'll wear for the duration of your time ashore. These also allow us to cross river braids as we move up or down river deltas and intertidal sedge flats.

Each guest is also issued a well fitting life jacket (yours for the week) and 5-gallon bucket (20-litre pail) with a screw-top lid. This pail serves two purposes--it can hold a spare jacket, camera gear or water bottle and serves as a convenient stool during close-quarters bear viewing. Our group, seated shoulder to shoulder on these seats, can sit comfortably for hours if needed and remain unobtrusive to the wildlife.

Welcome to a typical day in Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park. After our chef serves breakfast, you'll step into your hip waders (provided for you) and step off the drop-bow of our skiff onto tidal flat near the river mouth. Prior to going ashore we will discuss the social behavior of bears and fine-tune our own strategy to minimize the group’s impact as we choose a spot to observe. The spot we choose depends on the state of the tide and the number, maturity level and gender of the bears, and of course the distribution of food, but it may be within mere meters of the bears. As we take our seats, you slowly realize that we’ve removed ourselves from the equation and are spectators to one of nature’s most iconic predator-prey interactions. Hours may pass before we realize our hunger and restlessness is getting the better of us. We will return to the Island C for a much-anticipated lunch. As usual, the Island C's outstanding chefs don't disappoint.

Over lunch, we discuss options for the afternoon. Bear viewing ashore is a daily activity, and sometimes choosing the option of a second trip ashore after lunch makes perfect sense. Each afternoon we offer a choice of bear viewing or a location-specific marine activity such as kayaking, small boat excursions and exploring the incredible diversity of the inter-tidal coast. Though the forbidding terrain limits the types of activities we can do ashore, each new location clicks “refresh” on all our activities, as each bay reveals unique terrain features, species, and experiences.

Each night our chef delivers a top-notch cuisine, and we pride ourselves in customizing meals to individual desires and dietary needs. Several dinners per week feature locally caught seafood. Beer and wine are allowed onboard (please bring your own) and you're welcome to pair these to the evening's meal.

If we're traveling to a new place, it usually takes place in the evening, with the goal of arriving at our new anchorage before bed time. On this ship, however, the hum of engines and gentle rocking of the boat can bring on a yawn sooner than expected but this transit is yet another wonder filled opportunity for wildlife and coastal views so you will probably resist.

Though it’s hard to take your eyes off the main event, in any of these bays wolves may make a cameo appearance, and may fish the mouths of the rivers as boldly as any boar. If our bear bucket is full, we’ll take time to putter around the inner part of the bay in kayaks or dinghies. We see the occasional bruin who opted out of the river, but also white beaches of volcanic ash, towering basalt columns, harbor seals, numerous species of loons, and of course the endlessly entertaining sea otter.

Based on the intelligence we’ve gathered the night before about the recent travel patterns of the bears between bays, we may start the day in Hallo Bay about 30 miles to the northwest, or Kukak Bay, comfortably nested in between. At Hallo, the bears fish, dig for clams, and even stalk sea otters on Little Ninagiak Island (a poorly understood and only recently discovered behavior). Devil’s Desk and Hallo Glacier loom in the background, with peaks rising abruptly from sea level to more than a mile high. Each of these bays are reasonably well-protected and provide excellent kayaking. All are renowned for their salmon runs and the bears who seek them out.

After breakfast on your final morning onboard we may get out for a second breakfast but this time the otters and bears will be doing the eating. Following our morning's excursion, back in the Island C's salon we spend our hour listening for your plane while culling out our best final photos, contemplating the bittersweet return to cell phone service, and eagerly sharing addresses and data with the crew. Our goal in bringing you here is to show you the best of the Katmai coast. We hope it captivates you and brings you back time and time again, as it has done for us.

As a capstone to the trip you get an aerial view to try and take it all in again as you make your way back to Kodiak. Once again everything is taken care of and transport will be waiting to get you out to the State Airport or Hotel.