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Smokey Bay Air | 1-888-482-1511 | |
| 2100 Kachemak Drive Homer, AK 99603 | 907-235-1511 | ||
| reservations@smokeybayair.com | Fax: 907-235-1501 | ||
Bear Viewing Frequently Asked Questions
| When is the best time to view the bears? | Bear
viewing is great from early May to the end of September. This unusual
reliability for viewing is due to the amazing abundance of food sources
available along the coast. The bears have no reason to go elsewhere for
food. To observe mating behavior May and June are best. For fishing behavior
late June to September is best. You can chose to view bears at Lake
Clark National Park or Katmai National
Park. |
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| Is it safe? | Bear
viewing is safe. Confrontations between bears and humans can be avoided
when people have a clear understanding of bear behavior and show the bears
respect: Bears don't like surprises, make noise, wave your arms, talk
loudly or sing. Avoid thick brush. Bears are extremely fast (up to 35
mph), never try to out run them. They will chase anything that runs. Do
not harass the bears. Give them plenty of space, especially mothers with
their cubs. If you invade their personal space, they may charge. Never
feed bears; it is both foolish and illegal to feed bears. |
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| What should I *not* bring? | Do
not bring pepper spray. Pepper spray can be deadly to the pilot and passengers
if accidentally discharged during flight. Check with your pilot before
bringing a firearm. Some areas we travel to, do not allow firearms. |
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| What should I bring with me for a day trip? | 1.
Medication: if you use it, bring enough for 2 days in case of
a weather delay. Weather days are rare, but do happen a few times a year. 2. Lunch, snacks and Water (you do not need to bring this, if you are going to Alaska Homestead Lodge, as they will provide it.) 3. Day pack to carry your essentials 4. Bug dope 5. Camera, extra film/memory cards and batteries 6. Sunscreen 7. Sunglasses 8. Hat and gloves 9. Rubber boots 10. Rain jacket & pants |
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| How should I dress? | Please
dress appropriately for cool, wet and windy weather. The temperature can
vary from a warm 70 F to a cool 40 F. We recomend layered clothing, so
you can remove layers for warm weather. |
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| What if we are weathered out? | All
trips are weather-dependent with limits set by the Federal Aviation Administration.
If we are unable to go because of weather, each passenger has an option
for a full refund or to rebook another date (space available basis). |
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| What time do the flights depart Homer? | Departure
times are tide dependent as we will land you on a beach. The beaches we
land on are often nicer and safer to land on than many DOT maintained
airports in Alaska. We plan our arrivals and departures around the tides.
Please check in with Smokey Bay Air staff before your trip, to find out
what the departure time will be. |
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| Can people who are not physically fit make the trip? | If you are not physically fit or need extra assistance, we recomend you chose the Alaska Homestead Lodge option. The lodge provides 4wheelers to minimize the walking required for those who can not or do not want to walk long distances. You need to be able to get in and out of the airplane with minimal help. At Alaska's Hallo Bay Bear Lodge, the trips are considered easy to moderate with most walking on level ground If you chose Smokey Bay Air's "Volcano / Glacier Flight See and Bear Viewing Combo" package, the walking is considered easy, but expect to walk up to a mile. Depending on the group's level of physical fitness, less or more walking can be factored in. |
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| What kind of airplane will I be traveling in? | Smokey
Bay Air operates Cessna 206s. These are 5 passenger
aircraft. Cessna 206s are the workhorse of Alaska. These aircraft are
ideally suited to the type of flying that is typical in Alaska. They are
ultra-reliable, very forgiving and have a superb safety record. They are
relatively roomy and comfortable for a single engine airplane. All airplanes
have intercoms and a headset will be normally provided. |
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Where
is Katmai National Park? |
Hallo
Bay is located in Katmai National Park
which is on the Alaska Pennisula across from Kodiak Island. |
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| Where is Lake Clark National Park? | Silver
Salmon Creek and Chinitna Bay are located in Lake
Clark National Park, on the Western shore of the Cook Inlet. Check
out area map. |
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| How long is the flight? | The flight to Silver Salmon Creek, in Lake Clark National Park, is about 30 minutes each way. The flight to Chinitna Bay, in Lake Clark National Park, is about 40 minutes each way. The flight to Hallo Bay, in Katmai National Park, is about 1 hour each way. |
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| How crowded is the bear viewing? | If you chose the Alaska's Hallo Bay Bear Lodge option, you can expect a group of 10 for the day bear viewing trip. There are other outfits that operate into the day bear viewing area, so there will be people from other outfits bear viewing near you. If you over night at the lodge you can expect a group of 8 to 10 people. Its a much more private setting. If you chose the Alaska Homestead Lodge option, you can expect a group up to 20, and 12 or fewer of you stay overnight. There is another lodge that operates in the area, so there will be people from the other lodge bear viewing near you. If you chose Smokey Bay Air's "Volcano / Glacier Flight See and Bear Viewing Combo" package, the number of people on the plane with you is it, although there could be other groups in the vicinity of where we land. |
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| What else should you know about me? | It
is helpful if you can let us know in advance if you have any disabilities,
food allegeries (if food is being provided for your trip) and/or restrictions
prior to your visit. |
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Smokey Bay Air | 1-888-482-1511 |
| 2100 Kachemak Drive, Homer AK 99603 | 907-235-1511 | |
| reservations@smokeybayair.com | Fax: 907-235-1501 | |
| ©2008 Smokey Bay Air. All rights reserved. | ||
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