People who coming to Alaska for the first time know there are a lot of Polar bears but get disappointed when they find out that polar bear viewing locations are few and far between. It is not impossible to see them, though.

Polar Bears live in the Arctic, wandering along the coast or on the ice at certain times of year. If you want to see them, the best time is during whaling season in coastal Arctic villages, where there can be up to 50 or more polar bears feeding on the leftovers of a hunt. To see them you will probably need to go on an organized tour.   

Kodiak bears are a unique subspecies of the brown or grizzly bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi). They live exclusively on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago and have been isolated from other bears for about 12,000 years.

Kodiak bears are the largest bears in the world. A large male can stand over 10' tall when on his hind legs, and 5' when on all four legs. They weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Females are about 20% smaller, and 30% lighter than males. The oldest known wild Kodiak bear was a 34-year-old sow. The oldest boar was 27.

There are about 3,500 Kodiak bears that re healthy and productive. They enjoy relatively pristine habitat and well managed fish populations.