Emerald Air Service, Inc.
Emerald Air Service, Inc.
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Emerald Air Service has the pleasure of sharing respect, understanding, and love for Alaska’s coastal brown bears with many thousands of guests while maintaining a perfect safety record in over 30 years of operation. Fly in a turbine de Havilland Otter on floats; each spacious seat has a window and headset. Our Homer dock to Katmai National Park is a scenic hour's flight past the volcanoes and glaciers lining Kachemak Bay and the Cook Inlet. Keep an eye on the water as we commonly see whales and sea otters. Spend a day in Katmai's backcountry with a small group led by our naturalist guide or experience the iconic sights of Brooks Falls first hand. Either trip you choose, you will have 5 hours on the ground with these amazing bears. We hope everyone who takes one of our trips leaves with not only great photos, but with an understanding of bears, knowledge of how to move respectfully through their world, and a love for wild places.
Homer, Alaska
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
332 reviews
Excellent
328
Very good
0
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Rick D
5 contributions
Jun 2020
We joined Emerald Air Services on a bear viewing trip on June 27, 2020. We cannot say enough about how extraordinary this experience was! Everything about it was absolutely perfect!
Before we came to Alaska, Chris, one of the owners, called to ensure that we were coming and to ensure that we would have everything we needed. Once there, the staff was outstanding. When we arrive at their offices, Melissa greeted us warmly and explained the process for flying to the Katmai National Park and assisted us with our gear.
Lance, our naturalist and guide, explained what we would be seeing and how to act around the bears. He explained what happens if a bear approaches us and what he would do to move the bear along. His calm professionalism gave us all confidence that we would be absolutely safe.
We flew out to Katmai in a very comfortable de Havilland Otter float plane. It was our first time in a float plane and we were impressed by how smooth the takeoff and landing were. Mark, the pilot, really knew what he was doing!
We landed in Hallo Bay, one of the areas most heavily populated by brown bears. As we walked through the valley, we saw approximately 35 bears, including five or six cubs. At one point a bear approached us and stopped five feet from us. Lance calmly spoke to the bear and after a moment the bear moved away. One would think that having a very large brown/grizzly bear would be nerve-racking. But Lance’s demeanor set the tone for us and I don’t think anyone in our party of six was afraid or worried. Having a grizzly bear that close and then walking away was actually exhilarating! Through the trip, Lance shared information about the bears, the location and history of the park. He was engaging and knowledgable, really, the perfect guide.
At the end of the day, we returned to the office, where Melissa had a freshly baked batch of chocolate chip cookies! We stayed for a bit and chatted. It was really like a group of friends getting together! Of course, because of COVID-19, we all wore face masks and observed social distancing.
My wife and I went on a bear viewing trip with a different company to the same location four years ago. At the time, we thought that trip was amazing, and it was. But it really does not compare to this trip. We cannot recommend Emerald Air Services highly enough! I am confident that anyone who takes this trip with them will agree that it is an amazing experience and well worth the money. Without a doubt, this was the highlight of our trip to Alaska!
Before we came to Alaska, Chris, one of the owners, called to ensure that we were coming and to ensure that we would have everything we needed. Once there, the staff was outstanding. When we arrive at their offices, Melissa greeted us warmly and explained the process for flying to the Katmai National Park and assisted us with our gear.
Lance, our naturalist and guide, explained what we would be seeing and how to act around the bears. He explained what happens if a bear approaches us and what he would do to move the bear along. His calm professionalism gave us all confidence that we would be absolutely safe.
We flew out to Katmai in a very comfortable de Havilland Otter float plane. It was our first time in a float plane and we were impressed by how smooth the takeoff and landing were. Mark, the pilot, really knew what he was doing!
We landed in Hallo Bay, one of the areas most heavily populated by brown bears. As we walked through the valley, we saw approximately 35 bears, including five or six cubs. At one point a bear approached us and stopped five feet from us. Lance calmly spoke to the bear and after a moment the bear moved away. One would think that having a very large brown/grizzly bear would be nerve-racking. But Lance’s demeanor set the tone for us and I don’t think anyone in our party of six was afraid or worried. Having a grizzly bear that close and then walking away was actually exhilarating! Through the trip, Lance shared information about the bears, the location and history of the park. He was engaging and knowledgable, really, the perfect guide.
At the end of the day, we returned to the office, where Melissa had a freshly baked batch of chocolate chip cookies! We stayed for a bit and chatted. It was really like a group of friends getting together! Of course, because of COVID-19, we all wore face masks and observed social distancing.
My wife and I went on a bear viewing trip with a different company to the same location four years ago. At the time, we thought that trip was amazing, and it was. But it really does not compare to this trip. We cannot recommend Emerald Air Services highly enough! I am confident that anyone who takes this trip with them will agree that it is an amazing experience and well worth the money. Without a doubt, this was the highlight of our trip to Alaska!
Written July 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
worldtravelerprof
Atlanta, GA80 contributions
Jul 2021
From the booking experience (which we did 6 months in advance) to the end of the Brooks Falls Self-Guided Tour every employee we encountered went way above and beyond to ensure our total experience was top notch. The Office staff are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Our Pilot (Dave) was obviously a senior pilot who knows Alaska thoroughly. He made the amazing flight over to Brooks Falls truly remarkable, especially the majestic scenery of Katmai National Park which was a great surprise. We did not realize the tremendous beauty we would experience both going to Brooks Falls and then a totally different route on the return. We saw whales blowing in the Bay, a smoking volcano and amazing snowy mountains. The Bear viewing at Brooks Falls should not be missed on a trip to Alaska. Although we have been to Alaska several times this was our first time to Homer and Katmai National Park and we are thrilled that we were privileged to choose Emerald Air and got Dave as our Pilot for this amazing Bear experience. The Salmon was running very strongly and lots of Grizzly Bears to view. We highly recommend this experience be accomplished with the help of Emerald Air.
Written July 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AussieBonz
41 contributions
Jun 2021
The guided expedition into the Katmai bush is one of the best things we have ever done in our extensive travels around the world. Emerald Air Service is a top notch company that fortunately survived the pandemic; they are very professional and made us feel safe at all times. They give good instructions on bear safety and how they keep us safe around the bears. Their float plane is comfortable. Our guide was Lance and he was wonderful. The hip boots keep you completely dry and were comfortable enough to walk around all day.
Now for the actual trip. The flight there is beautiful - amazing low aerial views of Kachemak State Park, Augustine volcano, the mountains and glaciers in eastern Katmai, and more. Landing in the water was fun and as soon as we were on the shore there were bears - we spent the day with at least 30 bears, walking around the mud flats and meadows of Hallo Bay, watching them eat, play, mate, and sleep. It's a flat open area surrounded by mountains, not a forest, so we could see the bears and they could see us from a distance, and there was no accidentally running into them like in a forest where they could be startled and run away. Some came quite close to us but since we were in a small group with good safety instructions as they approached, they just sauntered by us. Lance also took care to make sure we approached the bears with the sun behind us so we weren't squinting and so our photos turned out great.
I cannot express my gratitude enough to Emerald Air Service for this unforgettable experience.
Now for the actual trip. The flight there is beautiful - amazing low aerial views of Kachemak State Park, Augustine volcano, the mountains and glaciers in eastern Katmai, and more. Landing in the water was fun and as soon as we were on the shore there were bears - we spent the day with at least 30 bears, walking around the mud flats and meadows of Hallo Bay, watching them eat, play, mate, and sleep. It's a flat open area surrounded by mountains, not a forest, so we could see the bears and they could see us from a distance, and there was no accidentally running into them like in a forest where they could be startled and run away. Some came quite close to us but since we were in a small group with good safety instructions as they approached, they just sauntered by us. Lance also took care to make sure we approached the bears with the sun behind us so we weren't squinting and so our photos turned out great.
I cannot express my gratitude enough to Emerald Air Service for this unforgettable experience.
Written June 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kerry - USA
Boston, MA21 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
I really can’t say enough good things about Emerald air. It is really a superior service with wonderful people that you can tell authentically love what they do. The bussiness clearly invests money back into which explains why it is a little pricier than the other tours but if you want to enjoy your experience and not worry about anything — this is well worth it.
Don our pilot was incredibly knowledgeable (with a charming smile and a sense of humor), and even joined us during our bear viewing providing us with additional “bear facts”. The icing on top of the cake was the smooth flight and the flawless landing on a day with 20 mph wind. (Oh and the homemade cookies — 5 different kinds!)
As for our “bear viewing experience” despite the late season, we saw it all. Bears up close from the viewing platform, in the falls, mating (😊) and even got “bear”icaded on a trail by a momma and her 3 cubs about 15 minutes away. Bear college both on the ground and once in katmai prepared us for how to react, made us feel safe and made for some excellent photos!
The plane itself was a little chilly — so I recommend extra layers for comfort during the flight.
Quite pleased with the experience all along. For a big production with lots of variables it is a well oiled machine and you can tell they are invested in their customer satisfaction.
Well done — Emerald Air!
Don our pilot was incredibly knowledgeable (with a charming smile and a sense of humor), and even joined us during our bear viewing providing us with additional “bear facts”. The icing on top of the cake was the smooth flight and the flawless landing on a day with 20 mph wind. (Oh and the homemade cookies — 5 different kinds!)
As for our “bear viewing experience” despite the late season, we saw it all. Bears up close from the viewing platform, in the falls, mating (😊) and even got “bear”icaded on a trail by a momma and her 3 cubs about 15 minutes away. Bear college both on the ground and once in katmai prepared us for how to react, made us feel safe and made for some excellent photos!
The plane itself was a little chilly — so I recommend extra layers for comfort during the flight.
Quite pleased with the experience all along. For a big production with lots of variables it is a well oiled machine and you can tell they are invested in their customer satisfaction.
Well done — Emerald Air!
Written July 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosie S
3 contributions
Jun 2022
Truly a trip of a lifetime. We were a bit nervous to be on a small plane and also be around bears, but I cannot recommend this experience enough. I'm still blown away by how spectacular this was. Emerald Air was so professional and knowledgeable, our pilot, Dave, was incredible and made us feel so safe. He showed us so much beautiful scenery on our flight, which I wasn't even expecting as part of the trip. Seeing the bears at Brooks Falls was just outrageous -- there were so many! Really fantastic day from start to finish, and I can't wait to do it again.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J J
13 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Due to circumstances beyond our control my wife and I were unable to schedule a trip to Brooks Falls ahead of time and we were in Homer for only one day. Five days prior to our stay in Homer I called numerous air services based in town and no one had a availability. Keri Lynn at Emerald Air told us they were booked up as well but she offered to reach out to pilots and arrange another trip and fortunately for us she was able to do so. Emerald Air was the only company that went above and beyond to assist a prospective customer. As for the trip to Brooks Falls….Awesome!!!. Our pilot was fantastic. He provided lots of information about the area as we flew back and forth to Brooks Falls. He even took us a little out of our way to see a lake inside a steaming, volcanic crater and took us whale watching on the way back. All in all, Emerald Air provided a wonderful experience.
Written July 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy S
Round Hill, VA134 contributions
Aug 2022
Emerald Air Services offers several bear viewing options. We did the guided Katmai excursion that put us up close and personal with over 40 kodiak bears. Crystal is amazing at all you need to know before you go and takes great care in servicing their clients. Dave flew us out on a float plane to a small lake where we exited, in hip waders, into knee deep water. We hiked with our guide, Erica for just over a mile to salmon filled streams where bears were more interested in catching and eating salmon than messing with us. You still have high respect for those creatures as I'm sure one wrong move near a cub or turning a corner and so startling a bear popping out of the brush - could be a disaster. Erica's passion for the experience shines through with so much information and knowing where to go! I never expected to be able to be as close as we were to so many bears - it was such a treasure to observe them in this natural habitat. We spent 3+ hours walking through streams to see bears, then hiked about an hour to a different lake where our plane awaited to take us back. I was exhausted the next day - but have memories forever!
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
seanjpsmith
San Francisco, CA7 contributions
Jul 2021
I had high expectations going into this tour, and from the scenic flight to being on the ground in the Katmai wilderness they were completely blown away. Our guide Lance was a real professional, and shared his in-depth knowledge of bear behavior and biology. We saw too many bears to count, including many mothers with cubs. An incredibly memorable experience. I recommend the guided expedition into the Katmai bush particularly for people who enjoy walking and who want to avoid the crowds at Brooks Falls.
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt R
12 contributions
Jun 2022
Wow - this was one of our best trips ever! Float plane landed when tide was out and bears were strewn across beach digging clams. Guide was very good and managing group and the coolest part was when one ~480 lb grizzly sauntered over digging clams within 10' of our group. She could have cared less about us and being able to see her dig/shuck a clam up close was a real treat.
Rest of the day we encountere dover 20-25 bears from different distances and learned a lot o=about them and Katmai Park. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Rest of the day we encountere dover 20-25 bears from different distances and learned a lot o=about them and Katmai Park. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Written September 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary P
1 contribution
Jun 2021
My wife and I took a bear flight with these fantastic folks on June 30th. The plane was in excellent shape and Mark our pilot was very good. We landed on Hallo Bay in Katmai NP. What made this trip so great was having a sunny day and a wonderful guide named Lance Bassett. Lance helped us out of the plane and we waded in shallow water to shore. [They provide hip boots.] Lance is an expert on bears and is also very good with people. We all immediately liked him. Within 30 minutes, we saw our first momma bear and 2 cubs. We spent 5 beautiful hours in this magnificent spot. We saw 3 other bear moms and one had 3 cubs! Lance got us close enough that good pictures were no problem. We also saw a wolf at a distance and then Lance took us to see some whale bones. An outstanding trip and we have memories and photos that will last us the rest of our lives. We HIGHLY recommend Emerald Air to anyone who wants to have a spectacular experience in a beautiful remote area of Alaska with bear moms and cubs in easy photo range.
Also Lance did a great job of telling us how to behave and we never felt threatened by these wonderful animals at any time. My advice is to go do it if you can. You will never forget it.
Also Lance did a great job of telling us how to behave and we never felt threatened by these wonderful animals at any time. My advice is to go do it if you can. You will never forget it.
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Has anyone been to both Brooks Falls and the coastal bear watching? Which should we do in July?
Written November 11, 2019
If you only could go to one place would you choose Brooks Falls or Halo Bay to view grizzly bears. Thank you in advance.
Written June 22, 2017
We have been to Hallo Bay twice, haven't been to Brooks Falls. We plan to go to Brooks Falls next time. We went to Hallo Bay again because we had such a great experience the first time, and did again on the second visit. Which location is better depends on the month you plan to be in Alaska, see would see more bears in Hallo Bay in June and more bears at Brooks Falls in July. Hope this helps.
Written June 22, 2017
How long in advance do you have to book?
Anything else we should know about payment?
We will be in Homer beginning of August.
Thanks!
Written April 13, 2015
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