Alaska, bears catching salmon
 

Anyone opt for this expensive excursion? If so, where and when and would you do it again?

I went to Neets Bay out of Ketchikan via float plan last week. Excellent tour, but my favorite is Anan, didn't have enough port time.

Pack Creek and Traitor's Cove are other bear watching areas.

We went to Katmai NP at the beginning of July this year. The bears were amazing..we stayed overnight at Brooks Lodge; definitly a splurge, but worth the price. The salmon were just beginning to run there. There were fewer people and fewer bears, but the bears that were fishing had to have some skill to be successful. The ranger told us that we had picked the perfect time to visit. He said that in late July and August,
there could be as many as 25 bears fishing at any one time, but the tourists were so plentiful that there was usually a few hour wait to get one hour on the viewing platform.
When we were there, we were not limited at all in our viewing. We saw as many as 8 bears at any given time. It was so interesting to see the different "fishing techniques" the individual bears used. One would stand at the top of the falls to try to catch a salmon in midair. Another would sit, hot-tub style, and just get one after another.
The air service there seemed disorganized, but the lodge was very comfortable, with good food.

We spent a whole month in Alaska; started with a cruise for 7 days, train
to Anchorage where we
picked up a rental car and basically followed a well-planned itinerary for the rest of the time. Katmai was indeed a highlight of the whole adventure.

We did not go on a cruise but whilst on the passenger ferry from VI up the inside passage we were told about Fish Creek right up in the pan handle of Alaska/Canada border. It was absolutely sensational and we spent 2 days there watching the bears at Fish Creek. No cost and lots of bears - an absolutely amazing experience.

could I get a copy of you month itinerary. Also looking at spending month in Alaska during 2012.

I'd second the recommendation of Fish Creek. Although it's in Alaska, it's accessible by road from British Columbia, and you can stay nearby in Stewart. We were there in mid-August this year (2011) and the bear viewing was great (not as good as Katmai, I'm sure, but a lot cheaper and easier!).

Some photos from our trip at http://www.philarmitage.net/bear_viewing_alaska.php