Brown Bears of Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska

Wildlife photographer Phil Armitage shared our Pack Creek visit with Capt Kevin and our guests, in Alaska in 2013.  Pack Creek, on Admiralty Island, is one of the places we view brown bears on our boutique Alaska adventure cruises.

Phil made this lovely and informative short video about the first half of the day …on the mudflats where bears catch salmon, eat sedges and dig for clams. The second half of the day, at viewing stands in the forest over a creek, are not included in this video.

The Pack Creek area is a special haven for brown bears. The bears have been habituated to human presence for many decades and, since they haven’t been hunted in this area, they calmly accept our presence and go about their lives around us. This is not the case everywhere in Alaska for brown bears — nor even on the whole of Admiralty Island.

Visitation at Pack Creek is restricted to 12 people per day, and only to commercial operators with a very special permit. We are fortunate to have been awarded this permit, so that our guests can gain an understanding of the true nature of these fascinating, intelligent, and often subtle animals, each with a unique personality.

You’ll also see the SV Maple Leaf at anchor near the beginning of the video. Nice work, Phil! (You can see more of his work here.)

Learn more about Maple Leaf Adventures’ boutique Alaska expedition cruises.