Alaska Cruises Central

Alaska has one of the highest concentrations of bears in the world, and are a major attraction for many visitors. The state is home to black bears, brown bears and polar bears, and there are viewing opportunites throughout the state. Below are some basic facts about the bears, and the best viewing areas (listed generally from the best to not-so-good going down). A large number of tour operators offer tours to most of these viewing locations, by air, boat and/or bus. To find the tour operators, have a look at our guide to the community that services the particular viewing location.

• Brown bears (Ursus arctos) occur throughout Alaska except on a few islands. Although brown and grizzly bears used to be thought of as separate species, they are now considered to all be Ursus arctos. They are commonly known as brown bears along the coasts, and as grizzlies inland. There are 35,000-45,000 brown bears and grizzlies in the state.
• Kodiak bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) are a subspecies of the brown bear, larger than the average brown bear. There about about 3,000 Kodiak bears, living exclusively on the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago.
• Black bears (Ursus americanus) occur in most forested areas of Alaska, though they are occasionally seen beyond treeline. Although they are usually black in colour, they may be any colour from black through shades of brown to a creamy white (known as the Kermode bear). There are over 50,000 black bears in Alaska.
• Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) occur along the coastlines of northern Alaska. there are 4,000-6,000 polar bears in Alaska.