Neets Bay Bear Adventure & Flightseeing

Neets Bay has some of the best bear-watching in Southeast Alaska.

If bear-watching is on your bucket list, you couldn’t find a more enjoyable way to view bears catching salmon.

Here’s how your trip will go.

Climb aboard a DeHavilland Beaver or Otter floatplane and take off for a panoramic view of Ketchikan, the Inside Passage, and its surrounding wilderness. You’re on your way to

Neets Bay and some serious black bear watching. Our bush pilots make your flights to and from Neets Bay an experience you’ll long remember. You’ll be tuned to a Digital CD audio system through your individual headset, looking out through extra-large windows at the wilderness, lakes and mountains below.

You’ll be flown to Neets Bay, where you’ll disembark and meet one of our friendly and experienced bear guides who will lead your group on a short hike along a quarter-of-a-mile wilderness trail through the old growth Tongass National Rainforest.  Your hike will end at the Neets Bay Salmon Hatchery. This facility is owned and operated by SSRAA (Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association) SSRAA’s (pronounced ‘Sarah’) mission is to enhance the number of salmon available to commercial and sport harvesters in the area and to ensure minimal impacts to naturally reproducing salmon stocks. SSRAA operates four hatcheries in the region.

Every year the salmon run is at its most spectacular from mid-July through September.

Spawning salmon enter the bay, swim up the stream and start to jump up the cascading water and hatchery fish ladders. This is big time feeding for black bears! You’ll be able to see one of the most spectacular sites on earth, from a secure, covered bear viewing area. You’ll have a closeup of the bears feeding in their natural habitat. Photographers take note!  Be on the lookout for other wildlife, too. Eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer, mink, marten, and seals all populate this area.

And after generous time on the platform, our floatplanes will take you back to Ketchikan.

This is bear-watching in Alaska at its best.

Please Note: The rainforest walk is over uneven and sometimes difficult terrain with a few steps and narrow passageways. This tour is not recommended for guests with physical limitations.

Passenger names and weights are required by the FAA for weight and balance calculations and flight manifesting. To ensure aircraft weight and balance is within operating parameters, guests weighing 250 lbs. (clothed weight) or more may be required to pay an additional surcharge of $150 over the published fare direct to the tour operator. A no-bag policy applies; however, if you have medical needs that require a carry-on bag, please see the Shore Excursion office on board. All other bags brought to our terminal will be stored until you return from your flight.

If the weather is not suitable for a flight you will have an option to join Herring Cove’s Black Bear & Wildlife Exploration and your onboard folio will be credited the difference in the flight portion.

Rates starting at:
$435/person

*This experience involves an increased amount of physical activity including walking over uneven terrain and extended periods of standing. Comfortable, sturdy shoes are recommended.

Other Tours

Alaska Bear Adventure & Flightseeing

Misty Fjords Flightseeing

Ketchikan Flightseeing & Crab Feast

Flights do not operate on the following

Federal Holidays

New Year’s Day

Memorial Day

Columbus Day/Indigenous
People’s Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Independence Day

Veteran’s Day

President’s Day

Labor Day

SAFETY

Taquan Air’s Safety Management System Program

FIRST FAA-ACCEPTED PART 135 AIR TAXI SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SMS) PROGRAM IN ALASKA

In January 2021, Taquan Air became the first Part 135 Air Taxi Operator in the State of Alaska to receive the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) acceptance of a Safety Management System (SMS) developed in accordance with the standards and requirements set forth in the FAA’s SMS Voluntary Program.

AN ORGANIZATION-WIDE PROGRAM TO MANAGE SAFETY IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

Taquan Air’s SMS is a formal, top down, organization-wide approach to managing safety and ensuring the effectiveness of safety risk controls and was implemented in line with the international standards which led to the FAA’s program.
 
SMS elements include organizational policies which define the accountabilities and responsibilities of our leaders and employees regarding safety; a formal process for identifying, analyzing, assessing and controlling safety risks; assuring the effectiveness of safety controls through collecting, analyzing and assessing information; and, the training and communications necessary to promote the program overall.
 

 ACTIVE SMS APPLICATIONS THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT, MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORTING PROGRAMS

Through policy, process, training and promotion, the SMS guides and supports key decisions related to preflight, inflight and post-flight actions; aircraft maintenance, equipment and operations; the use of navigation systems with synthetic vision, tracking and moving map capabilities; enhanced communications capabilities and, related initiatives promoting the safety of our guests, our employees and our environment overall.
 

OUR FACILITIES

Ketchikan Waterfront Base

Taquan Air Terminal

Taquan customers enjoy our state-of-the-art, custom-built facility, with a comfortable lobby, water view and floatplane dock with its waterfront patio.

The 16,000 square foot facility is located in Ketchikan’s 6.0 acre Harbor Point Business Park located at 4085 Tongass Avenue. Vehicles access the business park via a separate entrance and exit driveways from Tongass Avenue, with motorcoach loading, unloading and staging areas as well as ample short and long-term parking for customers.

The spacious check-in area, passenger lounge, gift shop and restrooms are specifically designed to handle groups large and small. Other features in this spacious complex include:

Administrative and flight operations offices

  • A large conference room and training facility
  • Space for expansion
  • Ramps and Floats

Extended passenger access ramps

  • Non-skid surfaced floatplane dock
  • Over 600 feet of floatplane dock space
  • Maintenance Hangar

Hangar space for up to six aircraft

  • Fully equipped and staffed maintenance bays
  • Expanded parts department and inventory
  • Office spaces and an employee break room
  • Freight Department

Extensive storage for freight and U.S. Mail

  • Large walk-in cooler and freezer
  • Industrial size floor scale

Aircraft Specs

Taquan Air Otter

Modal

DHC-3 Turbine Otter

Engine

1 x PT6A Turboprop engine, 750 HP

Weights

Take-off weight

3796 kg

8367 lbs

Empty weight
2268 kg
5000 lbs

Dimensions

Wingspan
17.8 m
58 ft

Length

14.99 m

45 ft 10 in

Height

5.05 m
16 ft 6 in
Wing area
114.3 m2
375 sq ft

Performance

Max. speed
214 km/h
133 mph

Cruise speed

209 km/h
130 mph
Ceiling
5333 m
16000 ft
Range
740 km
460 miles

Aircraft Specs

Taquan Air DeHavilland Beaver

Modal

DHC-2 Beaver

Engine

1 x Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp
Junior radial piston engine, 450 HP

Weights

Take-off weight

2540 kg

5600 lbs

Empty weight
1678 kg
3700 lbs

Dimensions

Wingspan
14.63 m
48 ft 0 in

Length

9.98m

32 ft 9 in

Heigh

3.18 m
10 ft 5 in
Wing area
76.2 m2
250 sq ft

Performance

Max. speed
290 km/h
180 mph

Cruise speed

185 km/h
115 mph
Ceiling
3795 m
15750 ft
Range
804 km
500 miles