Emerald Air Service – Bear Viewing Trips from Homer, Alaska
About Emerald Air Service
MISSION STATEMENT – Emerald Air Service exists to educate our guests about Katmai’s majestic residents; the Coastal Brown Bear, and the country in which they live. We hope that everyone who takes one of our trips leaves with, not only great photographs, but with an understanding of bears, knowledge of how to move through their world, and a love for all wild places.
OUR HISTORY – Emerald Air Service was founded in 1991 by Chris and Ken Day. The newlywed couple set out to build a life doing what they loved together. And they succeeded—pioneering the guided bear viewing day trip industry in Alaska while touching thousands of lives as they shared this corner of Alaska and the Katmai bears. They retired in 2009, selling their business to Craig and Sarah Elg—excellent custodians of Chris and Ken’s legacy. In 2019, Emerald Air Service found a new owner in Chris Freeman, whose love for all things Alaskan gave him the ambition to own not just any bear viewing company, but this one. With his energetic vision, Emerald Air Service’s fleet has grown and now has a state-of-the-art dock and lovely cabins—including the main office—on the quiet shores of Beluga Lake in Homer, Alaska. Truly one of the most beautiful places in our world.
OUR GUIDES – Naturalist guides are at the heart of Emerald Air Service’s mission. All EAS guides are trained and certified in First Aid/CPR; have completed the Katmai Service Provider’s Bear Viewing Guide Excellence program; and continue their education together in in-house naturalist training, always building on their skills and knowledge of Katmai’s ecosystem and bear biology. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing understanding and love for the bears and this country spread to our guests—and our guides’ passion is infectious!
OUR BEAR VIEWING PHILOSOPHY: What sets Emerald Air Service’s bear guides apart from other bear viewing operators – Basically “bear etiquette”—the bears come first. At Emerald Air Service, we follow our simple philosophy, that this is the bears’ world and we are only guests in it for a short period of time, and need to behave that way. Our goal is to not disturb any bears while in the field. If we do, then we did something wrong. In addition to bear viewing, we also strive to educate our guests’ on everything bears—from behavior, lifecycle, reproduction, taxonomy, seasonal diet, to denning, etc.—not just go out and see a bear. There is also all the other flora and fauna, geology, and history of the area that are incredible. When out in bear country, we use proven techniques that have been passed down from guide to guide at Emerald Air Service.
Guided Expedition, Katmai National Park
- This is Emerald Air Service’s signature trip. Spend an unforgettable day in remote Katmai National Park and Preserve, far away from crowds, developed trails, and viewing platforms. Enjoy a scenic flight into the true Alaskan bush. You and the other members of your small group are led on a day hike by a naturalist guide who acquaints you with Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears and the amazing country that is their home. Depending on the time of summer, locations vary according to the bears’ food sources.
- 5 hours on the ground
- Tour Features:
- 8:15am – Check-in at the office, sign paperwork, weigh-in
- 8:30am – Guide is introduced and clients are taken to boot shed to change into hip boots for the excursion
- 8:45am – Briefing from the guide at the deck to go over safety instructions, bear etiquette, lunch, and bathroom rules
- 9:00am – Load plane and receive safety briefing from your pilot
- Take Off
- 10:30am – Land at Hallo Bay / Moraine Creek
- 10:45am – Deplane and get ready for adventure!
- Exploring / bear viewing
- Lunch / snacks / water / bathrooms as group wants or needs
- Exploring / bear viewing
- 3:45pm – Return to plane and embark back to Homer
- Take Off
- 5:00pm – Land in Homer and deplane
- 5:15pm – Cookies, take off boots, debrief, Q&A, good-byes
- Contact Emerald Air Service directly for pricing information. www.emeraldairservice.com info@emeraldairservice.com (907) 235-4160
World-Famous Brooks Falls
- See the iconic moment of salmon fighting their way upstream, leaping up water falls only to be caught in the jaws of Coastal Brown Bears. After a short safety briefing by Park Rangers, you can enjoy the park at your own pace. The falls where the bears congregate most densely for fishing are an easy 1 mile walk away from the Visitor’s Center. In addition to watching the bears fish at the falls, you can attend one of the ranger-led programs, walk along the beach, and even enjoy a hot meal of cup of coffee at Brooks Lodge.
- 5 hours on the ground
- Tour Features:
- 7:30am – Check-in at the office in Homer, Alaska, sign paperwork, and weigh in
- 7:45am – Briefing from office staff to go over current camp platform conditions and bear etiquette
- 8:00am – Load plane and receive safety briefing from your pilot
- Take Off
- 9:30am – Land at Brooks Camp
- 10:00am – Deplane and head towards the Visitor’s Center
- Ranger briefing – all camp visitors must do this in order to visit the area
- Rangers provide instructions on where to store your lunch
- Exploring / bear viewing / visiting platforms
- 3:00pm – Return to the plane to embark back to Homer
- Take Off
- 4:30pm – Land in Homer and deplane
- 4:45pm – Debrief, Q&A, good-byes
- Contact Emerald Air Service directly for pricing information. www.emeraldairservice.com info@emeraldairservice.com (907) 235-4160
Our Aircraft – The DHC-3 Otter
- The DHC-3 Otter was manufactured between 1951 and 1967, and aviation has not been able to improve on this ideal bush aircraft. Emerald Air Service is fortunate enough to own two de Havilland Otters. These classic planes (manufactured in 1958 and 1962) have been upgraded to have state of the art turbine engines for even greater power, speed, and safety. FEATURES of our DHC-3 Otters include: 1) each aircraft seats up to 9 people plus the pilot, 2) every passenger has their own spacious seat, window, and headset, 3) we operate on floats for greatest safety flying over Cook Inlet and unparalleled access to the remote corners of Katmai National Park, and 4) all EAS aircraft are equipped with ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) and Spidertracks for constant flight monitoring.
- Contact Emerald Air Service directly for pricing information. www.emeraldairservice.com info@emeraldairservice.com (907) 235-4160
A Perfect Safety Record
- In 32 years of operation, Emerald Air Service has never had an accident. This is due to a tireless commitment to excellence, safety, and sound judgement regarding Alaska’s unique, powerful combination of natural forces.
- Contact Emerald Air Service directly for pricing information. www.emeraldairservice.com info@emeraldairservice.com (907) 235-4160