Neets Bay Bear Adventure Floatplane Tour

4.9

18 reviews

Excursion Overview

a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:7:"content";s:1450:"Your excursion begins as you board your motorcoach for a short drive to the float deck. Upon arriving, you'll board a DeHavilland Beaver or DeHavilland Otter floatplane with a guaranteed window seat for a 25-minute flight.

You'll fly over Revillagigedo Island en route to Neets Bay in Tongass National Forest. A fully guided nature walk along a quarter-mile trail through old-growth forest takes you to Neets Bay Creek, a remote site where the annual gathering of fish is a huge draw for the region's most plentiful concentration of black bears. Along the way, you'll witness Neets Bay Salmon Hatchery, where summer and fall chum, fall coho and chinook salmon are produced to keep the supply plentiful.

From a viewing platform, you'll be watching black bears fishing for and feeding on salmon heading upstream to spawn, and eagles perch in surrounding trees waiting for scraps. Although wildlife sightings are not guaranteed, keep your camera ready for a myriad of photo opportunities.

Your excursion concludes with a 25-minute return flight back to the float deck, and a relaxing drive back to the pier.

NOTES: Guests should wear comfortable, sturdy footwear and dress appropriately for weather conditions. Participants must be able to walk 1/4 mile on an uneven gravel trail and stand for the duration of the tour at Neets Bay. There is an additional surcharge of 0 for any passenger whose weight is 250lb or more.";}}

Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

Noise canceling digital headset to listen to the pilot's narration
Route map
Coffee, tea and bottled water

Requirements:

There are no additional requirements for this excursion.

Duration: 3 hours (Roundtrip from cruise ship terminal. Flight time: 50 minutes. Bear Viewing time: 45 minutes.)

15 minutes transfer to floatplane base
15 minutes bathroom break and loading
25 minutes flightseeing to Neets Bay
70 minutes including 1/4 mile hike to and from bear viewing platform and bear viewing at Hatchery
25 minutes flightseeing back to base
15 minutes bathroom break and shopping
15 minutes tranfer back to town

Meeting Instructions:

This tour meets at the Liquid Sunshine Rain Gauge. Fully detailed instructions are included on your finalized ticket vouchers.

ADA Accessibility of Tour:

This tour is limited mobility accessible. Guests must be able to get in and out of the planes with little assistance. Guests who have a wheelchair will not be able to take the wheelchair on the plane with them.There is a golf cart that can take guest to and from the plane once at the base. Please note that there is a 1/4 mile walk to and from the bear viewing site at Neets Bay. The pace of the walk is set by the slowest guest. Please leave a comment during checkout if accommodations for golf cart will be required on tour.

Refund Policy:

You may cancel for any reason up to seven (7) days prior to the date of the tour for a full refund.
Please see our Refund Policy Page for complete details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Guest Reviews

David M

On Sep 2019

Loved the float plane experience! Would have loved to see more bears - only saw 2 (one as we were heading to the plane to leave). Staff very knowledgeable and friendly

Sharon S

On Sep 2019

My husband and I were met by a representative at the designated meeting spot and driven to their base in the harbour to catch a floatplane to Neets Bay. Within a short time we were in the air with our pilot, Chuck and the scenery was spectacular over Ketchikan. It was about a 20 minute flight to Neets Bay where we were met by Joshua and Morgan who are the two resident Bear Guides. We began our walk around the Bay with Joshua pointing out several dens where the bears sleep and markings on trees. It wasn't long before we came upon the salmon hatchery and a stream with viewing platforms for us to wait and observe any bears should they come down the mountain to fish. Our time was almost up when we sighted our first black bear who quickly grabbed a salmon and took it up behind a tree. He came back shortly to get another fish, then further along the bank appeared two more bears. It was absolutely wonderful to see them in the wild and so close to us. It was a wonderful afternoon all round and a highlight of our trip. Thank you.

Brian P

On Sep 2019

Amazing trip. After a short bus trip to the airport we were aboard the floatplane. It was a nice plane that held ten passengers. The pilot was awesome, and the views were even better. Everyone enjoyed the flight. Once on ground out guide walked us to a creek where after a few minutes we saw a black bear catch a fish. We took a short walk to the salmon hatchery to look for more bears. There were not any there, but we did see another one before we boarded the plane again. The guide was informative and enjoyable. This was a great excursion.

Kurt B

On Sep 2019

Saw a dozen bears including a mother bear with two cubs. The float plane ride was great.

Catherine H

On Sep 2019

This was a fantastic experience. The people involved were not just professional but friendly and nice all round. The tour itself was fabulous and better than we expected, but really didn't know what to expect. Cathy

$422.00

Best Price Guarantee!

$422.00

Duration: 3 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 3 hours

Select Date & Time *

Departure Time Range:*

Request Morning Departure (Between 7:30am-11:45am)

Request Afternoon Departure (Between 12:15pm-5:45pm)

Number of Passengers *

Adult: $422.00

Child (2-11): $422.00

Infant (0-2): $0.00

Neets Bay Bear Adventure Floatplane Tour

Excursion Overview