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What You’ll Experience

Bear viewing is the main focus of our expeditions. On these trips, a chartered float plane may be used to bring you to or from the Island C, which will spend most of the summer on location on the Katmai coast. When GMX uses float plane transport to/from the Island C, charter fare is included in the trip price.

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Beginning Your Journey

Your GMX experience often begins and sometimes concludes with a spectacular flight seeing trip to rendezvous with the Island C in Katmai National Park. With help from our airfare providers, we will see to your needs from the moment you arrive in Kodiak to the moment you leave the island. You’ll take shuttle service from the airport or hotel (we do recommend arriving a day early) to the float plane terminal, where you’ll fly in a DeHavilland Beaver (pictured) to the Island C’s location. On this flight you will cross over the northernmost part of Kodiak’s archipelago, offering views of Kodiak in its full radiance. Sometimes we reverse this schedule and fly guests OUT of Katmai National Park after the trip, capping off a spectacular week of up-close experiences with a bird’s eye view of the magnificent landscape.

Getting To The Boat

In addition to stunning landscapes, you will likely see the first whales of your trip on this flight. As you begin across Shelikof Strait, your pilot will turn toward the distant ice fields of the Alaska Peninsula. Here you take in your first views of the Katmai coast. Your plane will touch down in Geographic Harbor, Hallo Bay, or Kukak Bay depending on a number of factors. Travel dates, weather, timing of the salmon runs, and distribution of bears all affect where the Island C meets the float plane. After arriving, we’ll provide an orientation, show you to your stateroom, and get you out into the field on the very first day.

Our First Anchorage

Crossing the Shelikof Strait by boat is a memorable experience, as the 4-hour open ocean crossing takes us through deep waters inhabited by pelagic birds and deep-diving whales such as fins (pictured here). Though motion sickness is possible during this part of the trip, there are many good medications which negate the effects (we suggest taking them prior to departure) and the symptoms are typically short-lived. The sheltered bays on both Kodiak and Katmai provide calm, protected anchorages for overnight stays.

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Strategy And Briefing Session

Prior to going ashore, we discuss the social behavior of bears and fine-tune our strategy to minimize the group’s impact as we choose an observation spot. Key factors include the number of bears present, their maturity level and gender, and their current food source — which shifts over the summer from sedges and clams to berries and ultimately salmon. Tide plays a critical role in site selection as well: Alaska’s tidal ranges can exceed 20 feet, dramatically transforming the shoreline over the course of just a few hours. A rising tide may flood sedge flats and river deltas entirely, while a falling tide exposes vast stretches of intertidal habitat that concentrate bears and their prey. We read these conditions carefully to position our group in the right place at the right time.

Going To Shore

The Island C’s purpose-built skiff brings us from the vessel to shore, as there are no docks or piers along this coast. The first few steps at the beginning and end of each outing are in knee deep water. We will provide a well-fitting life jacket and high quality chest waders and wading boots to keep you dry. The life jacket will stay with the skiff, but the chest waders and wading boots will stay on you all morning. They allow us to cross river braids as we move up or down river deltas, and move through inter tidal sedge flats. We may hike up to a mile over flat or gently rolling terrain to find the bears. Once we’re on-scene, we usually sit shoulder to shoulder on our stools, where we can remain comfortable for hours while unobtrusive to the wildlife.

Observing Nature

The best way to understand the Katmai Coast is to take in the entire coastal ecosystem — one that includes far more than bears. Marine mammals and dozens of bird species round out a rich community of wildlife, all of which either share a food source with the bears or constitute part of their diverse diet. As we settle into our seats and blend into the surrounding landscape, you slowly realize that we’ve removed ourselves from the equation and become spectators to one of nature’s most iconic predator-prey interactions.

Lunchtime And Afternoon Activities

Hours ashore pass quickly, and we return to the Island C for lunch and a discussion of afternoon options. A second bear viewing session is always on the table as the tide has now changed the landscape, or we may choose a skiff excursion to explore the rich intertidal coast. Each new bay refreshes the experience, revealing unique terrain, species, and encounters. Wolves occasionally appear at river mouths, fishing as boldly as any bear. Skiff time in the bay rounds out the day, offering chances to add to the week’s species list — harbor seals, sea otters, seabirds, volcanic ash beaches, basalt columns, and the occasional historic site.

Dinnertime

Each night our chef delivers a top-notch cuisine, and we pride ourselves in customizing meals to individual desires and dietary needs. We will collect dietary restriction information when we share your detailed trip itinerary. Several dinners per week feature locally caught seafood. Beer and wine are allowed onboard (please bring your own) and you’re welcome to pair these to the evening’s meal.

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Planning The Next Days

Based on the intelligence we’ve gathered the night before about the recent travel patterns of the bears between bays, we may start the day in Hallo Bay about 30 miles to the northwest, or Kukak Bay, comfortably nested in between. In Hallo Bay, the bears fish, dig for clams, and even stalk sea otters on Little Ninagiak Island (a poorly understood and only recently discovered behavior). Devil’s Desk and Hallo Glacier loom in the background, with peaks rising abruptly from sea level to more than a mile high. These bays are well-protected and provide comfortable shelter from ocean swells. All are renowned for their salmon runs and the bears who seek them. Bears are the main emphasis of this trip and we normally move to a new location every 2-3 days. Sometimes we stay longer in one place because the activity is too spectacular to leave behind, or because weather conditions keep us from relocating. Generally speaking, during the course of a 6-night stay you will experience the full breadth of the wild Katmai Coast and watch marine and terrestrial species act out dramatic scenes in an unforgettable landscape.

Cozy Evening Sendoff

If we’re traveling to a new place, it usually takes place in the evening, with the goal of arriving at our new anchorage before bed time. On this ship, however, the hum of engines and gentle rocking of the boat can bring on a yawn sooner than expected. All transits are yet another wonder-filled opportunity for wildlife and coastal views so you will probably resist the call of sleep!

Last Day And Transportation Back To Kodiak

After breakfast on your final morning onboard we usually have time for a final trip to shore. Following our morning’s excursion, safely back in the Island C’s main salon, we spend our hour listening for your plane while reviewing the best photos, contemplating the bittersweet return to civilization and eagerly sharing addresses and data with the crew. Our goal in bringing you here is to show you the best of the Katmai Coast. We hope it captivates you and brings you back time and time again, as it has done for us. As a capstone to the trip you get an aerial view to try and take it all in again as you make your way back to Kodiak. Once again, everything is taken care of and transport will be waiting to get you to the Kodiak Airport or your hotel.

Available Tours

All prices are per person, based on double occupancy and include all taxes, expenses, and charter airplane fees. Terms & Conditions. If you don’t see the dates you’re looking for, please contact us with your travel requirements or consider a custom charter.

If you require a cabin with an en-suite bathroom, the Kayak Room may be available for an 8% surcharge.

2026

Kodiak - Katmai

  • July 8-14, 2026

This expedition departs from the port of Kodiak, Alaska and concludes with chartered float plane trip (all costs included) to fly guests from the Katmai Coast back to Kodiak. Katmai’s legendary brown bears are the primary focus of the trip, with marine mammals and birds rounding out a whole-ecosystem experience. At this time of year, bears are primarily foraging on sedges and clamming at low tide.

Price PP: $7,221.00
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Katmai - Kodiak

  • July 14-20, 2026

This expedition begins with a chartered float plane trip (all costs included) to fly guests to Katmai, where the Island C is on location to receive you. Katmai’s legendary brown bears are the primary focus of the trip, with marine mammals and birds rounding out a whole-ecosystem experience. At this time of year, bears are primarily foraging on sedges and clamming at low tide. The trip concludes with a boat voyage across the Shelikof Strait, returning to the port of Kodiak.

Price PP: $7,221.00
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Kodiak - Katmai - Kodiak

  • August 4-11, 2026
This slightly longer trip features cruises to and from Katmai from Kodiak island and does not involve a float plane segment, thus there is an increased emphasis on marine birds and mammals which are more abundant in Kodiak. Five of the seven nights are in the sheltered waters of Katmai NP, where brown bears are the primary focus of the trip. During this time, the bears are transitioning from sedges and berries to salmon as their primary food source.

Price PP: $8,290.00
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Katmai - Kodiak

  • August 23-29, 2026

This expedition begins with a chartered float plane trip (all costs included) to fly guests to Katmai, where the Island C is on location to receive you. Katmai’s legendary brown bears feeding on salmon are the primary focus of the trip, with marine mammals and birds rounding out a whole-ecosystem experience. The trip concludes with a boat voyage across the Shelikof Strait, returning by float plane (bush flights included).

Price PP: $7,221.00
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2027

Kodiak - Katmai

  • July 8-14, 2027

This expedition departs from the port of Kodiak, Alaska and concludes with chartered float plane trip (all costs included) to fly guests from the Katmai Coast back to Kodiak. Katmai’s legendary brown bears are the primary focus of the trip, with marine mammals and birds rounding out a whole-ecosystem experience. At this time of year, bears are primarily foraging on sedges and clamming at low tide.

Price PP: $7,437.00
Spots left: 8

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Katmai - Kodiak

  • July 14-20, 2027

This expedition begins with a chartered float plane trip (all costs included) to fly guests to Katmai, where the Island C is on location to receive you. Katmai’s legendary brown bears are the primary focus of the trip, with marine mammals and birds rounding out a whole-ecosystem experience. At this time of year, bears are primarily foraging on sedges and clamming at low tide. The trip concludes with a boat voyage across the Shelikof Strait, returning to the port of Kodiak.

Price PP: $7,437.00

Spots left: 8

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Katmai - Kodiak

  • August 28- September 3, 2027
This expedition begins with a chartered float plane trip (all costs included) to fly guests to Katmai, where the Island C is on location to receive you. Katmai’s legendary brown bears feeding on salmon are the primary focus of the trip, with marine mammals and birds rounding out a whole-ecosystem experience. The trip concludes with a boat voyage across the Shelikof Strait, returning by float plane (bush flights included).

Price PP: $8,687
Spots left: 0

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