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Neets Bay Bear Cruise

Enjoy a scenic boat ride to remote Neets Bay for the chance to watch black bears feeding on salmon in their native streams and along the beaches. After a narrated transfer by bus or van to Knudsen Cove, board a high speed boat and travel 34 miles to Neets Bay where your Captain will scout the shoreline and you'll see where bears catch salmon as they enter their spawning streams. Then, you'll stop near a salmon hatchery where it is common to see several bears at once. From the boat, great pictures and video can also be taken of the eagles and seals which are plentiful in this area. Note: Participants must be at least 4 years of age and must be able to step into and out of boat without assistance. Maximum weight allowed 325 lbs. We recommend that you wear warm, layered clothing. The waters of Behm Canal can be a little rough at times. This tour is not recommended for guests with neck/back problems or expectant mothers. Bear watching tours operate during prime bear viewing months, usually late July through mid-September. Wildlife sightings are frequent, however they cannot be guaranteed. A raincoat, binoculars, snack and bottled water are provided. Certain departures may omit the van/bus transfer and the entire tour will be by boat from and back to the cruise ship dock. Available after July 20th. This tour only operates from mid-July to September and is not available for guests on the Norwegian Jewel.
Average:
4.667 out of 5
4.7
 out of 
5
(3 Reviews) 3
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (3 reviews)
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3 of 3(100%)customers would recommend this to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Neets Bay Bear Cruise
Review 1 for Neets Bay Bear Cruise
Overall: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Wildlife/Scenery: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Adventurous: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Family Oriented: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
bossladyn
Date:September 1, 2012
Great scenery and wildlife!
This was a great excursion! We saw a several bears, bald eagles and seals. We made two stops looking for bears and after about 10 minutes at the first stop of not seeing any bears, we made our way to the salmon hatchery. There we saw about 6 bears and 2 of them up close and personal. We watched one bear run into the stream several times and grab a salmon and eat it.
The captain and the guide were excellent and gave a great perspective on the wildlife and the area. They provide binoculars for better viewing although we really didn't need them. The boat is clean and fairly small (seats about 14 or 16 people) so you don't feel crowded and overrun when you are viewing the wildlife.
The scenery of the area is beautiful as well. On the way back to the harbor we stopped by the seal island area and saw a lot of seals.
My 9 year old thought this was a really fun trip and loved the wildlife. She took so many photos she ran the battery down! :-)
Definitely recommended.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Neets Bay Bear Cruise
Overall: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Wildlife/Scenery: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Adventurous: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Family Oriented: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
pugsbythesea
Date:September 7, 2011
UnBEARleavable
Captain Mike is a native of Alaska...and this excursion was first class! Not only did we see MANY bears as close as 50 feet from us; we also saw bald eagles and seals...not to mention the beautiful scenery and leared about their habitat in Neets Bay.
Neets Bay is just a special place. August is salmon spawning season and there is a non profit salmon fishery/farm here as well. The bears come for the Salmon. We also learned about salmon and the fishery--we saw salmon jumping out of the water all around us.
We had a beautiful sunny (for Ketchican) day for our trip and did not need the rain gear that is provided. We were also given binoculars and able to ask and have many of our questions about the bears and Neets Bay answered. You can tell that Captain Mike and his brother really enjoy what they do and you won't be sorry if you book this tour. Make sure your camera batteries are charged!
This is a great wilderness/wildlife experience that does not require alot of walking through rough terrain. You must be able to get on and off the boat and it is restroom equiped. While it was definitley adventurous, I would recommend for seniors and families (you do need to be very quiet when viewing the bears.)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Neets Bay Bear Cruise
Overall: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Wildlife/Scenery: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Adventurous: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Family Oriented: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
BearWatcher
Location:CT
Party size:1
I traveled with:Other
Cruise Date Month:July
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Adventure
Favorite port:Skagway, Alaska
Date:August 14, 2011
Great time
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This excursion is run by 2 brothers who are natives of Ketchikan. They were very friendly and taught us a great deal about the town, the bay and the bears. It was a great trip and we saw a bunch of bears including a mother and her cub. Boat was very clean, they even provided rain jackets and binoculars to make the excursion more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this excursion.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.