alaska rainforest sanctuary

What an amazing place. I Zip-lined over a great canopy, saw more bears, salmon and eagles in one day then I have seen in my life... and it's all nestled in this amazing forest right on a picturesque cove... it's more painting than reality.

Good value for an inexpensive ship's tour. I lasted for a 3:15 hours. Seeing a bear is hit or miss. I got a great video from the elevated boardwalk system, of a mama bear and her two cubs catching salmon in the small stream. The don't list the park location on the ship info.My daughter took a different tour to the same sanctuary, but hers didn't include the elevated boardwalk system and she didn't see any bears.My other daughter took a float plane and saw lots of bears. Hers was probably the best tour of the trip. It was with Island Wings Air Service. I would definitely do this one even though it is more expensive.

It was GREAT. We were transferred by bus (with amusing and informative driver) to the sanctuary. Our guide met us and after an introduction and amusing do's and don'ts talk, took us in small groups of 12 into the sanctuary. A walkway has been constructed and you quietly walk along and stop when bears are sighted. There are MANY bears milling around the salmon and the smell of dead salmon really brings home the spawning and dying cycle of the salmon. The bears catch the live salmon (they don't eat the dead salmon) to eat and share with their cubs. Some of the bears had 2 cubs. When a male comes onto the scene, the cubs climb the trees so as to avoid the males. (Apparently, a female will not mate if she still has cubs - so the males kill the cubs if they can, so that they can get at the females). We could have stayed and watched the unfolding scenarios for hours. We moved from observation point to observation point by means of swaying suspension bridges. Even though is was misty and dripping from a recent shower, our time with the bears is amazing.After the bears we also saw some reindeers and some seals (also after the salmon in the inlet near the hatchery), and eagle, owl and a totem pole maker at work.An excellent adventure and not to be missed in Ketchikan.

This was the second of two day trips we booked from our ship Holland America's Zuiderdam & both were equally fantastic but entirely different.From the moment we awoke on this day we knew we were going to get wet - it was cold, rainy & I don't have a rain jacket - & I didn't care one little bit! - we were absolutely saturated & according to the guide - that was a bonus as Bears LOVE the rain. I wish I knew the name of the company than ran this tour so I could email our guide & thank her personally! (I THINK her name was Anne - but I was at the back of the group & the pelting rain diminished my ability to hear!)Initially I had a little conniption when I saw the suspension bridges (got an iddy biddy issue with heights & floors that move & are HIGH UP IN THE AIR! LOL) the cruise website description mentions nothing about suspension bridges - 'viewing platforms' yes but moving bridges, no...anyway after a slight initial panic I decided to suck it up, remembered how lucky I was to be here & that I was here but once - so just on with it I got!Those suspension bridges really moved in the wind & the rain (the poncho we were given was a nice touch but did nothing) - I am really short so my arms didn't reach both ropes on either side of the bridge so at times I was gripping with fear, swaying & being thrown up & down - I loved every terrifying second!By time I realised that two mothers, a father & five baby bears were right underneath us I had chilled a bit & was just standing there, dripping wet with my mouth hanging open & tears pouring down my face. It was remarkable! Our guide was engaging, knowledgeable & friendly & the bears didn't give a hoot that we were there, one of the adult females caught a salmon & was teaching a baby to hunt & kill - gruesome stuff but fascinating also!Even in the rain I managed to take some brilliant photos & a video of two babies having a play fight. After just the right amount of time we headed for the Sanctuary - on the way back out of the forest we stopped to learn about other native wildlife & managed to spot my most fave thing on the tour..bear prints in the sand, which will remain with me forever. The sanctuary housed a white owl, an eagle & a group of rescued female reindeer who we were able to get up close & personal with & I mean up close - I cuddled, hand fed & stroked the huge fluffy nose of a couple & was in animal heaven!I highly recommend this excursion - go when its wet so you don't miss the bears though & if you do miss out on bears, it's still a fab place with gorgeous reindeer!!Sandie

After watching whales in Juneau and hiking into the mountains in Skagway, we were looking for a quiet but interesting bus tour, and this fit the bill. The bus driver was full of information on the way out to the Tongass forest area. He explained how the area became a major salmon supplier, that the old trestle area of town was the original red-light district, and how Saxman village was formed and combines Tlingit, Haida and Tsimschian tribal groups. The "hike" is a mile long walk through the forest. Lots of explanations of plants, and details on a green slug which produces 5 types of slime (including an antacid cocoon, antibacterial and painkilling substances). After about an hour you come out on a boardwalk along a stream delta where apparently bear watching is possible. Across the river is a hatchery where the first Chinook of the season were arriving. Eagles sat on pilings and bear paths meandered through the delta grasslands but we didn't see any bears. The tour ends at an old cedar shake sawmill, and there is an eagle/owl centre, some reindeer saved from the butchers knife, and a carver working on a totem. Of course there is the mandatory gift shop, but they provide free hot chocolate and cookies. Not much excitement on this tour, but a nice way to spend a few hours in the rain.

This tour of the Rainforest was not only beautiful, it was very informative. I really didn't expect to learn so much! A great tour for the entire family! In my opinion, the tour guide makes or breaks the tour. Sam Ortiz made this one of the best tours I have taken. His knowledge along with his great sense of humor not to mention his patience made this a very enjoyable tour. I highly recommend I! Chris Lufkin

and it was a fabulous start! We really weren't sure what to expect but even starting with Marge, the bus driver, we got a lot of information, saw bald eagles nesting, saw totem poles and a lot of information about Ketchikan, not just the city itself but its geography. Then at the Sanctuary we were fortunate to have Sarah as our guide. But we understood from others that all the guides were good. She walked backwards the whole way telling us so much about the rainforest, the animals, the history of the terrain and more. We DID see bears! A mom and two cubs! I think we were lucky going when we did - at the end of the tourist season - perhaps things were quiet enough that we saw the bears. Part of the Sanctuary is the Avian Rescue where we saw a bald eagle, red tailed hawk and owl. Again, lots of fabulous information and good work being done

When i booked this "Herring Cove Bear Adventure" Excursion aboard the Holland America Oosterdam, i was excited,but no idea how awesome it would really be. They picked us up right outside the ship, which was awesome. It was a good sized group- probably about 20 people from our ship. I did the excursion with one of my friends i was traveling with, as no one else wanted to spend the money. boy did they miss out!! Our Tour Guide Matt was absolutely excellent. He was so knowledegable about the rainforest, and everything in it. He pointed out poisonous plants, bear scratches on the trees, bear dens, info about the salmon, everything you could want to know. but i was barely listening because we were surrounded by bears. adult bears in the brush behind us. a mama and her two cubs feasting on salmon to the right. another mama and her solo cub straight below us. everywhere. it was absolutely amazing. the only time i stopped taking pictures was when we were hit with a 20minute torrential downpour. but we jsut put our ponchos on and continued walking. it was such an awesome experience. if the bears werent awesome enough, there was the eagle and the reindeer too. That eagle loves people, he was posing for the camera. all in all, i wish i didnt have to leave. i could have stayed and took pictures of those baby bears forever!

That was a great shore excursion. One can spot lots of dead salmon everywhere. What a waste!! It would have been a delicious sashimi meal.

The tour is mostly a positive experience. Just the rain-forest by itself, walking up and down the suspended walkway-bridges, is worth your time. And then - contrary to the statements of the certain reviewers here - we actually did spot a Mama bear with two cubs feasting on salmon. Speaking about salmon - as a part of their life-cycle - there is dead salmon in abundance in the area, so those who are extra sensitive to smell shall better equip themselves with masks or nose plugs. The old lumber yard, the samples of gigantic Sitka cedar, the reindeer, the Alaska Raptor Center with eagles and owls, the totem-making workshop all add to the excitement of the tour.The only serious downside are the frequent stops in-between the stretches of the suspended bridges, which turn parts of the tour into boring standing on one spot. We are sure than with a better guidance and better planning behind the tour, it should be definitely worth your money and time.

My family and I went on this excursion as a Disney port adventure. I have no idea how any cruise company supports this trip. We paid $80 each and feel it is quite honestly daylight robbery. The only positive was the tour guide, Sarah. The "hike" would have lasted about 5 minutes if we didn't stop to look at slugs, spikey leaves and some unruly children in our group liked to get up close to any kind of poop....(seriously?!). It just so happened there was bear poop RIGHT in the middle of the path as you entered...what a coincidence....and their den is right there by the pathway...strange.....still not a single bear to be seen though. How odd.The only things we actually saw were: a squirrel (I see these from my bedroom window at home)a regular house cat that they feed, some reindeer who were shedding their antlers so they were all bleeding and gross, some injured birds, a whole load of seagulls pecking at dead and not so dead salmon.Our guide told us that all the eagles have pretty much left the area...didn't mention that on the brochure though...The whole trip was a total rip off. I wouldn't have minded if they had just advertised it as what it was: a short walk, 3 birds in cages, a totem carver and a gift shop because we wouldn't have wasted our time or money. But saying you may see a bear is just dishonest. There's so much noise and too many people, no way would bears come here.

I loved this place and I wish I could have spent more time here, I loved the people here - everyone is so passionate about what they do and so knowledgeable. Loved it!

Sarah was our guide for the rainforest trek and extremely personable, friendly and knowledgeable about our walk through the trails. Although we weren't lucky enough to see bears in person, we saw a lot of evidence, were witness to the life cycles that occur in the area as a result of low tide, and other animals in the area (such as the seagulls), and met the reindeer group in the sanctuary after our walk.We met both bald eagles and the snowy owl in the Raptor Rescue area, and were treated to the amazing work that Wayne is doing to finish a totem pole to put up in the area as a marker for this particular excursion.The crab feast was delicious, featuring a small salad to start, beer or wine with as many crab legs as you could eat in the short time we were there, and a slice of cheesecake to finish. My only downside here was that, due to the short time we were at port this day and the number of groups coming in for their own crab feasts, it felt as though we were rushed a little to accommodate.Our bus driver, Ed, was absolutely hilarious, entertaining us with stories, jokes and fun facts about the ares, as well as some great education and information too.Would have liked more time in the port to enjoy the town of Ketchikan but from what we saw, it looked awesome!

The hiking is in the middle of the Rainforest between the bear paths and bridges where you can actually see the bears catching salmons close enough to appreciate the wild without any risk. In the sanctuary there are bald eagles and hawks, some wild and some rehabilitated. We got the chance to pet some Reindeers and feed them as well. They also explain about the totem carving and how the sawmills worked. Also our guide was very good, he was funny and knew a lot about the animals and even the diversity of flora around the sanctuary.

this was a beautiful hike through the rainforest in Ketchikan. We were lucky enough to have some sun which was nice. We did see some wildlife - a bear and a bald eagle. Our guide, Tyler was very good, informative and funny. He really tried hard to spot wildlife for us to see and that isn't always easy and the bears do as they please. The hike wasn't too steep so I believe this would be good for all ages. I would recommend this tour.