Chichagof Island Bear & Wildlife Expedition
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Combine an amazing flightseeing experience with an Alaska wildlife & bear viewing hunt! Departure Times 8:00AM & 12:00PM thru May 28th. 7:30AM & 12:00PM May 29th to Sep 5th 10:15AM from September 6th and on Days of Operation vary, please see booking calendar We are not able to comingle with cruise ship passengers, so any tours that operate when a ship is in port in Hoonah (Icy Strait Point) is offered by request only. Duration 5, 6, or 7 hours depending on season Whats Included Roundtrip flightseeing between Juneau & Hoonah (20 minutes) 3 hour tour on Chichagof Island with focus on wildlife & bears with a guide Climate controlled van 30 to 90 minutes to explore Hoonah Need to Know meals are NOT included bring a small bag with you and rain gear, extra batteries or powerpack for your phone/camera this is NOT an ADA-compliant tour due to the flight involved. We can not guarantee assistance for those who have mobility issues or need a wheelchair Minimum Booking 4 required to run tour. If this minimum has not yet been met, you can pay to guarantee the tour for a small fee. IF we get our minimum, you will be refunded the fee in full. Guest/Participant Limitations This tour requires light walking and the ability to get in and out of a vehicle. Guests with mobility issues or wheelchairs, please bring along a caregiver to assist. Advisory Weather can affect the operation of this tour, please see disclosures at bottom. Tours offered on same days when there is a ship in port at Icy Strait Point require confirmation from the ground operator due to staffing & inability to mix cruise ship passengers and those on this tour. If we are not able to accommodate you, we will offer you a different date or refund your deposit in full. Deposit AYT requires a $100 USD deposit per person in order to request this excursion. Once we confirm travel, we will charge your card in full. This excursion will still operate in the rain - while it may be raining in Juneau, it could be sunny in Hoonah Don't let a cancelled cruise mean you can't see Alaska's natural beauty from the sea! This is an exclusive AYT package! Chichagof Island, or Shee Kaax, is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Alaska Panhandle. At 75 miles long and 50 miles wide, it has a land area of 2,048.61 square miles, making it the fifth largest island in the United States. Chichagof Island has the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth and its dense rain forests are some of the last grizzly strongholds! You'll fly to Hoonah, with a year-round population of approximately 750, is located in the northern part of Chichagof Island. The vast majority of the island is made up of pure, uninhabited Alaskan wilderness teeming with wildlife! The Ursus arctos, or brown bear, is the king of the forest, but Sitka black-tail deer, bald eagles, minks, martens, beavers, ducks, and seabirds thrive on the island and are frequently spotted on this tour. This tour is not offered year round due to weather, and in late April and May, the bears are coming out of hibernation and looking for food. In June, the bears are mating and eating grasses on the tidal flats. Older males fight each other for dominance and mating rights with the females, who at times are not receptive and force the male to give chase. In July, the salmon start their migration from the ocean up the rivers and we find the bears feeding in coastal rivers and streams. In August and September, the salmon have made it further up the rivers to shallow streams where the bears chase them. Depending on the month and the weather, the wildlife can be found in different locations throughout the island. Your guide spends a lot of time in the forest and knows where to look. Join us as we search for these amazing creatures! This tour is located on the Tongass National Forest under special use permit from the Forest Service, USDA. Weather and Insurance Advisory We've always believed in honesty and direct communication. So this may be the most honest disclaimer you have read from a Tour Operator :) The weather patterns of Southeast Alaska are extreme. One day it may be clear with not a single cloud in the sky, and the next day it may rain sideways. Travel along Lynn Canal & the Inside Passage remains a challenge at times, just as it was for the original Gold Rush prospectors in the late 1890s. Weather can change and affect operations of ferries and flights; and the winds in Icy Strait/Hoonah can be challenging. While most of the year, weather is acceptable - cloudy, rain, and of course sun; there are days when planes can't fly, or the ferry doesn't run. This could mean you have a risk of getting stuck in Hoonah. We trust the operations of the vendors we use to determine if its safe to travel or not, however there is always a risk outside of our control and yours, that your 5-7 hours in Hoonah could become overnight. Therefore, we do suggest that you bring a small overnight bag/backpack with a change of clothes just in case. AYT also offers an insurance option, for $50 per person, that will cover the cost of your hotel in Hoonah if you get stuck due to weather or mechanical reasons, and get you rebooked on transportation back to Juneau the next day. This MUST be selected at time of booking or before final confirmation. We do not offer this itinerary on days that certain ferries or boats operate - we know from experience which ones are reliable and those that are not. 99% of all travelers to and from Hoonah DO travel according to plan, however, we feel its important to disclose that Hoonah and Icy Strait do see a varying degree of weather, even in the summer, that could affect operations by flight. We are not responsible for any expenses or liability incurred for non-completion of travel back to Juneau. Save My Butt Insurance does not cover cost of missed excursions, lost wages/work, missed flights, or cruise ships.

Chichagof Island Bear & Wildlife Expedition
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