Juneau New Excursion - Brown Bear and Wildlife Search by Floatplane

[Marylandteachergirl]

Hello all wise Alaska cruise specialists,

 

This just popped up in my excursion list for my cruise planner. It's for Explorer of the Seas - Juneau and is Royal Caribbean JUC9. I really cannot find any information on this - can anyone help - or provide any info?

 

Our cruise is the first week of September, so not sure about bear activity. And of course, weather can be a factor, too. Here is the description: $479 pp.

 

Overview

 

Journey into the untouched Alaskan wilderness for an once-in-a-lifetime wildlife viewing expedition deep into the Tongass National Forest. Enjoy a breathtaking floatplane ride to and from Juneau and almost three hours of viewing Alaskan brown and black bears and other remarkable wildlife, including bald eagles, humpback whales, Sitka blacktail deer, seals and sea lions. After donning your wildlife viewing gear (provided) and participating in a safety briefing, your fully guided, small-group adventure begins with a breathtaking floatplane ride from Juneau. Marvel at the region’s natural splendor as you make your way to a remote stream in an area with the highest concentration of bears in the world. The landing location is chosen daily, based on the weather and the best chance for bear sightings. Upon arrival, your knowledgeable local guide will share the local history and insight into the wildlife and their natural habitat. You’ll also receive a briefing on bear safety. That way, you maintain your safety as you observe their movements in the wild, getting up close yet staying at a respectful distance. Then prepare to be amazed as you get a rare look into the world of one of the most majestic animals of the great Alaskan wilderness, the enormous brown bear. You’ll have almost three hours of viewing these and other noteworthy wildlife. And be sure to have your cameras and video recorders at hand, ready to capture the unexpected. Afterwards, it’s back to reality. After another exhilarating floatplane ride, this time heading back to Juneau, enjoy some free time to shop for mementos of your phenomenal Alaskan adventure. JUC9

[wolfie11]

Likely fly over to the Hoonah area (Icy Strait Point). There are plenty of bears around although September might be a little late for salmon runs and watching bears catch salmon. As you said, weather is often a factor in flying and landing. Pricey at $500pp but worth it for watching bears for three hours if you hit a good day.

[Budget Queen]

If it is Hoonah, it doesn't make any sense to me, to take this tour, since RCI ports there. I also would not take any unknown location for a bear tour. My preference. I'd suggest looking at Pack Creek out of Juneau, since Admiralty Island does have the distinction of being the most square mile populated for brown bears.

 

https://www.recreation.gov/permits/Pack_Creek_Bear_Viewing_Area/r/wildernessAreaDetails.do?page=detail&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72356

[Marylandteachergirl]

It's Explorer of the Seas, so we only have two Alaskan ports, Juneau and Skagway. All I can find is fly over Tongass National Forest. Maybe a bear watching excursion would better be saved for another visit?

[Budget Queen]

It's Explorer of the Seas, so we only have two Alaskan ports, Juneau and Skagway. All I can find is fly over Tongass National Forest. Maybe a bear watching excursion would better be saved for another visit?

 

If you want a bear tour, this one is way to vague in my opinion. There are areas of Alaska with a good concentration and good viewing stats. I'd look at the Juneau Visitor site for possibilities. http://www.traveljuneau.com

[TheCalicoCat]

On an Alaska.org video on "bears in Juneau" the forest service ranger said July & he was at Mendenhall. (You can get to Mendenhall on a bus inexpensively.)

 

I also found:

Juneau

 

The Juneau area, with its abundant sources of food and resources from the Tongass National Forest, is a rich habitat for black and brown bears.

• Pack Creek Brown Bear Viewing Area - located 30 minutes by plane from Juneau. Pack Creek sits on the eastern shore of Admiralty Island which is home to more than 1,600 brown bears - one of the highest concentrations in Southeast Alaska. This protected habitat allows visitors a chance to view and photograph bears with minimal impact. Permits are required and no visitor facilities are available.
  
• Bear viewing in Alaska can also be found on Chichagof Island, a 30 minute scenic flight from Juneau, or by walking the trails at the Mendenhall Glacier, black bears and eagles draw in close to the visitor center following the salmon’s return to Steep Creek.
  

Since seeing bears is a priority for us, we chose to sail in July & are going specifically to Anan Creek & Kodiak.

 

If I were you in Juneau, rather than booking the ships excursion, maybe contact local pilots & ask about flying to a specific location & get their opinion about your timing...

[mapleleaves]

The Alaska Fish and Game web site has info on popular bear viewing sites and provides links to the individual locations so you can find the peak viewing times..

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.bearviewingsites.

[Marylandteachergirl]

Thank you all!

[Toeknee498]

On 3/22/2017 at 3:57 PM, Marylandteachergirl said:

Thank you all!

Did you go on this excursion?  We are looking at it for our May 2020 Alaskan cruise but can't find much information about it other than on the RCCL website.

[Marylandteachergirl]

3 hours ago, Toeknee498 said:

Did you go on this excursion?  We are looking at it for our May 2020 Alaskan cruise but can't find much information about it other than on the RCCL website.

We did this excursion in August 2017.  It was probably the best excursion I've ever done (or maybe tied with  Calabaza Sailing in Barbados sea turtle snorkel..  We are doing it again this year in August with 10 family and friends, and I just booked it again for our late May, 2020, Radiance sailing with my daughter.  I know we may see fewer bears in late May/1st June than August because the salmon aren't running.  But, back to the excursion... we were outfitted with boots at the outfitters office (and had to tell our weight privately). It was a short float plane ride from the airport.  We landed in water  (shallow) and waded to shore.  We walked maybe 1/4 of a mile along a  trail after receiving very detailed bear safety instructions, and watched bears catching/eating salmon in a waterfall.  We saw several mama bears walk by with cubs right in front of us, and one of the cubs stood up on hind legs to get a better look at us.  Probably less than 20 feet away!   On the way out, we walked past a mama bear nursing her two cubs.  I asked the guide if the bears mind humans out there.  He said they tolerate it, because the salmon is more important to consume than worry about humans.  They  guides are very careful to keep a respectful distance between us and the bears.  It was probably the single largest reason I can't wait to go back to Alaska.  I know it's pricey, but it's incredible!  The planes are part of Ward Aviation in Juneau  (look at their website)  and the bear part is guided by Bear Creek Outfitters - at least it was last year.

[Toeknee498]

21 minutes ago, Marylandteachergirl said:

We did this excursion in August 2017.  It was probably the best excursion I've ever done (or maybe tied with  Calabaza Sailing in Barbados sea turtle snorkel..  We are doing it again this year in August with 10 family and friends, and I just booked it again for our late May, 2020, Radiance sailing with my daughter.  I know we may see fewer bears in late May/1st June than August because the salmon aren't running.  But, back to the excursion... we were outfitted with boots at the outfitters office (and had to tell our weight privately). It was a short float plane ride from the airport.  We landed in water  (shallow) and waded to shore.  We walked maybe 1/4 of a mile along a  trail after receiving very detailed bear safety instructions, and watched bears catching/eating salmon in a waterfall.  We saw several mama bears walk by with cubs right in front of us, and one of the cubs stood up on hind legs to get a better look at us.  Probably less than 20 feet away!   On the way out, we walked past a mama bear nursing her two cubs.  I asked the guide if the bears mind humans out there.  He said they tolerate it, because the salmon is more important to consume than worry about humans.  They  guides are very careful to keep a respectful distance between us and the bears.  It was probably the single largest reason I can't wait to go back to Alaska.  I know it's pricey, but it's incredible!  The planes are part of Ward Aviation in Juneau  (look at their website)  and the bear part is guided by Bear Creek Outfitters - at least it was last year.

Thank you SO much for the information. I'm so glad I found someone who has done it.  I just hope we see bears in May...I think we are in Juneau on June 3rd so hopefully some will be out.  As an amateur wildlife photographer, I figured this excursion was a must! Thank you again.

[Marylandteachergirl]

32 minutes ago, Toeknee498 said:

Thank you SO much for the information. I'm so glad I found someone who has done it.  I just hope we see bears in May...I think we are in Juneau on June 3rd so hopefully some will be out.  As an amateur wildlife photographer, I figured this excursion was a must! Thank you again.

Toeknee498, are you on the Radiance May 29th sailing from Vancouver?  Or Ovation?  I booked it again for Juneau for June 2nd, 2020, so you must be on a different ship.  I am thinking we may not see as many bears in May, but I just saw a review from someone who did this exact excursion on Ovation of the Seas last week, and he posted bear pictures!  I have pictures on my cruise excursions page, but not here on cc.

Edited June 6, 2019 by Marylandteachergirl

[Toeknee498]

24 minutes ago, Marylandteachergirl said:

Toeknee498, are you on the Radiance May 29th sailing from Vancouver?  Or Ovation?  I booked it again for Juneau for June 2nd, 2020, so you must be on a different ship.  I am thinking we may not see as many bears in May, but I just saw a review from someone who did this exact excursion on Ovation of the Seas last week, and he posted bear pictures!  I have pictures on my cruise excursions page, but not here on cc.

We are on the Ovation May 29th sailing from Seattle and the excursion is actually on May 31, not June like I originally thought.  Could you direct me to the pictures (his or yours)?  I'm new to CC and still learning how to navigate.  Even if there aren't as many bears, I'm sure the excursion will be just as great.  But I will be devastated if we don't see any!

[Marylandteachergirl]

5 hours ago, Toeknee498 said:

We are on the Ovation May 29th sailing from Seattle and the excursion is actually on May 31, not June like I originally thought.  Could you direct me to the pictures (his or yours)?  I'm new to CC and still learning how to navigate.  Even if there aren't as many bears, I'm sure the excursion will be just as great.  But I will be devastated if we don't see any!

Hi! Just got home from work.  If you email me at:    mdteachergirl39 at gmail dot com,   I can send you the links.   Cc won’t let me post them here.

larra