Summer 2026
Year of the C.O.Y.
If you want to see Bear Cubs, 2026 is the summer to visit Alaska's Bear Coast.
The past two summers, across the whole bear coast, only one female emerged with cubs in each major bear hot-spot on the bear coast due to underwhelming salmon runs. A female bear will only proceed with her pregnancy if the conditions are right for her to successfully raise her cubs to independence: she has bulked up enough to sustain pregnancy, full-time nursing, and the caloric demands of raising and protecting her cubs through the 2 most vulnerable years of their lives.
Last summer the conditions were perfect: bulky females overdue for cubs who were eager to mate, a prolonged mating season with lots of activity, and record-breaking salmon numbers that made every bear fat by the end of the season.
Plenty of newborn cubs will emerge this spring. Referred to as "Spring Cubs", "Springers", or "Cubs of the Year"; newborn cubs will start out no taller than a gull and double in size by the end of a good first season.
Be one of the first people these young bears meet as they enter the world and learn the fundamentals of how to be a bear.
Visit Alaska for the Great C.O.Y. Boom of 2026.
NorthWild Travel
For over 30 years our leaders have collaborated with local people, biologists, nature photographers and wildlife enthusiasts to ethically pioneer the top wildlife tourism destinations in South America.
In 2024, NorthWild debuted the Brown Bear Bay Lodge, the first lodge designed to encapsulate the perfect American Safari.
Summer 2027
Year of the Yearling
"Yearlings" are cubs who are entering their second summer, having just celebrated their 1-year birthday. They're bigger, more confident, and starting to test their size.
We hope a great number of cubs from the COY Boom of 2026 survive into the summer of 2027. We're looking forward to seeing these cubs grow & watching Mama Bear teach them the bear necessities to survive in this bearadise.
Great Guides for a Day
Great Guides have the skills, ethics, and discipline to make a day in nature better for everyone: the guests, the wildlife, and future generations.
We're glad to connect you with a Great Guide to ensure your trip to Alaska's Bear Coast is successful, ethical, and safe.
Everything you see, was #ShotWithNorthWild
Wildlife Travel Planning for hobby and professional photographers, filmmakers, and enthusiasts. Connecting travelers with great naturalist guides for day-trips, or multi-night expeditions to search for the most illusive wildlife.
Tour Operating for individual tour leaders & established travel companies looking to build bespoke itineraries that deliver
Wildlife Destination Management for local landowners & commercial properties looking to extract sustainable, ethical value from the wildlife and habitat in their care
