Is it possible to see bears in early June?

[Wanderbug]

I will be on RCCL's Radiance of the Seas the first week of June. I know that's not the best time for bears, but I still want to try to find them.

 

The ship bear excursions aren't offered at all during that time so I have looked for independent operators and most of them don't do bear tours until later in the summer.

 

I found a float plane company in Ketchikan called "Alaska Seaplane Tours" that offers trips to Prince of Wales Island beginning mid May. Through email, they have told me that the bears are feeding along the shores during that time and the chances of finding them are good even though they are not nearly as easy to find as they will be later.

 

My thought is that with or without a bear, the view and flight will be incredible.

 

Does anyone have any experience with Alaska Seaplane Tours or with hunting for bears in June?

[Yukon]

Alaska Seaplane's advice and your response are both good - if you do happen to see a bear it will be a brief sighting from the air but even with no bears the flight over the islands is spectacular. Seeing bears in June is simply luck regardless of where you go.

[NancyIL]

We saw a few bears in early June 2007 along the side of the Klondike Highway as we drove back to Skagway from the Yukon.

[Shar Pei]

I think I may be on the same cruise ..June 5 from Vancouver? I was also looking for this type of excursion. Alaskatours has a site that offers trips from Anchorage....starting June 1...you may want to take a look.

[Yukon]

Alaskatours has a site that offers trips from Anchorage....starting June 1...you may want to take a look.

 

That's a reservation service - if the operators can't find bears, a woman behind a desk sure can't. But that doesn't mean that she won't sell you a tour to search for them.....

[Shar Pei]

That's a reservation service - if the operators can't find bears, a woman behind a desk sure can't. But that doesn't mean that she won't sell you a tour to search for them.....

 

 

Thank you! Is there a place where you can find local tour guides in Anchorage?

[bearbait]

Alaska SeaPlane Tours is nice flight. I just wouldn't count on the bear sightings. If they find them that's just a bonus.

[Wanderbug]

I think I may be on the same cruise ..June 5 from Vancouver? I was also looking for this type of excursion. Alaskatours has a site that offers trips from Anchorage....starting June 1...you may want to take a look.

 

 

I'm going the week before. We're leaving Seward on the Southbound cruise on May 29 and will get to Ketchikan on June 3.

 

Thank's everyone for your input. I'm going to book the flight. The flight alone should be amazing and if I get lucky and see bears, it will just be a bonus.

[Yukon]

Thank you! Is there a place where you can find local tour guides in Anchorage?

 

What sort of tours, city tours of Anchorage or...?

[Shar Pei]

What sort of tours, city tours of Anchorage or...?

 

Anything! We have a day and half to see the area before we go home. We will not have a car. I am trying to talk my husband into going trout fishing somewhere.... We are doing the Halibut and Salmon in Ketchikan with True Alaskan Charters... I used all locals for each excursion on the ship. Thanks to everyone on the cc list.

 

Have you done anything that is memorable in Anchorage? It can be an entire day thing...

 

Thanks for help!

[Yukon]

There are a huge number of options, and http://www.anchorage.net/ is a good place to start. I highly recommend the Alaska Native Heritage Center (they do shuttles from downtown - http://www.alaskanative.net/ ) and the trolley tours that run regularly from 4th Avenue downtown (the longer ones are by far the best). Also go down and see if not fish for salmon in Ship Creek (right downtown), see Lake Hood (the world's largest floatplane base), etc, etc.

[Shar Pei]

There are a huge number of options, and http://www.anchorage.net/ is a good place to start. I highly recommend the Alaska Native Heritage Center (they do shuttles from downtown - http://www.alaskanative.net/ ) and the trolley tours that run regularly from 4th Avenue downtown (the longer ones are by far the best). Also go down and see if not fish for salmon in Ship Creek (right downtown), see Lake Hood (the world's largest floatplane base), etc, etc.

 

 

Thank you Yukon...you are always such a big help!

[tetons]

One year we did land/cruise tour. Saw lots of bears on the train to Denali. Great trip. Lucky enough to be in the last train car with open area at the back of the car with unrestricted view and saw several bears. Cruise part was first week in June. Saw two bears on train in Skagway. Then one walked right in front of us at Mendenahall Glacier before the rangers had time to see it. That early, the tours don't happen because the likelihood is less but we were just very lucky and saw some on our own. We always keep our eyes peeled for any wildlife on any vacation (even more so in Alaska) and have just been incredibly lucky. I am going end of May this year and hope to see some bears also.