Kodiak Island Expeditions

I couldn’t be happier choosing Willie and Jennifer for this bear viewing experience. Our entire Alaska trip was based on this experience in Kodiak to view these bears and they truly delivered in every way. I called Jennifer many months ago to learn about her experience and what we would be doing. After a few conversations with other guides we decided she was the right pick and we couldn’t be happier. They made the flight extremely smooth for us making it super fun and educational for us. We learned so much about the local wildlife and history of Katmai, Kodiak and Alaska in general. Jennifer was very patient with us and we felt safe the entire trip. Even with a bear standing roughly 20 yards away! She was confident around the bears and made us all feel extremely comfortable. This is a clear passion for them both and it showed. We even got a bonus seeing a couple whales on the ride back thanks to Willie’s sharp eye! We can’t thank them enough for making this special trip to Alaska one to remember. Thank you both!

What a team! Jen helped us every step of the way to prepare for today’s adventure. When we arrived, it was Willy’s turn to do what he does. He showed us so many unexpressed treasures on the way to the island. He helped us navigate around the island and enjoy the bears and helped us learn so much. I cannot say enough good about these two! Thank you for making today special.

After experiencing this outstanding adventure last week, it will be difficult to ever give another adventure the full 5-star rating we must give Kodiak Island Expeditions. Wow, did Jen (our guide) and Willy (our pilot) ever give their best, in making sure we had an amazing, safe, and forever memorable encounter with these wonderful brown bears, while hiking Katmai National Park! As our hosts, these two knowledgeable people took care of everything to ensure that we enjoyed the beauty of Katmai, with its incredible wildlife and scenery. From our early morning take-off from Kodiak Island, in Willy's de Havilland Beaver float plane, to the safe return that afternoon, we saw, learned, and experienced so much more than the up-close bear viewing in such a stunning natural setting. To see these brown bears is indescribable! The provided lunch was great, the conversations meaningful, and the panoramic views of Katmai were beyond beautiful! Five stars? Hands-down, YES!

We had the most AMAZING experience with Jennifer and Willy. The entire day was perfect! They are both so knowledgeable about Kodiak, Katmai and the bears. Jennifer knows the bears like they are part of her family. I felt safe the entire time. We were 10 feet from a Mom and her 3 cubs because Jennifer knew where to position us so she would come right by us. Having the cubs nap and nurse a few feet away is an experience I will never forget! We then flew over the glacier and saw gorgeous landscape and then stopped for lunch on a beautiful lake! Heading back to Kodiak we saw whales and sea otters. Willy made sure everyone saw as much as possible! I can’t say enough about what a great experience we had. I will definitely be back and only use Kodiak Island Expeditons!

Willy and Jen run a top tier experience. Willy has a wealth of information to share as we flew over to Brooks Falls, and that was only the beginning. He took the time to answer all our questions and led us to all the viewing hotspots. Jen had prepared a great lunch for us and handled all the business aspects with prompt communication as promised. This was our second time flying with them and won't be our last. Give them a call, you will not be disappointed.

We spent the day with Jennifer after Willie flew us in to view bears. Also flew over Fin Whales on the way home and over the Halo glacier.....highly recommend

Jen and Willy hosted a tour that was truly exceptional. Willy flew us out for a bear viewing with Jen as the guide. Her passion for these bears really shines through. She was very knowledgeable and made sure we felt safe while still understanding we were in the presence of true predators. The bears themselves were breathtaking to observe in their natural habitat. This is a 10/10 trip!! Thanks Jen & Willy! June 13, 2025.

Our group of two couples spent two days bear viewing with Jen and Willy. These two days were the highlight of our wonderful trip to Alaska. Definitely experiences of a lifetime. The first day we went on a float trip on a river on Kodiak Island. We saw many bears eating grass along the side of the river. We even had a curious, juvenile bear come within twenty feet of us. Jen was very calm and the bear did exactly what she told us he would do -- he came close to check us out, but then scampered away because he was more afraid of us than we were of him. The second day we flew over to Katmai National Park and Willy dropped us off at several places where they spotted bears. The highlight here was getting within 100' of a ~1,000 lb male. There's no way in a million years that anyone in our group would have ever done this on our own. We observed the bear with Jen for about 30 minutes before we came closer to him. Again, he did exactly what Jen told us he would do -- look up at us periodically to keep tabs on us, but he was more interested in munching on the grass than bothering with us. Jen and Willy are great people and fun to be with. They are consummate professionals and made us feel very safe and comfortable doing something we've never done before. We can't stress enough what an amazing time we had with them. Yes, these were expensive days. But when you consider the enormous cost to operate the plane and Jen and Willy's decades of experience, the cost makes sense. We hope you get the opportunity.

It has taken me awhile to write this review, but I will never forget the incredible day I spent with Jennifer and Willy in August 2020! I cannot say enough good things about this experience. My boyfriend and I knew we wanted to go on a bear viewing tour during our summer Alaska trip. I extensively researched the ideal location to depart from, how many hours are spent on the viewing itself, and of course the price. Kodiak Island Expeditions made this research process extremely easy with their great website. It was also great that Jennifer was readily available to chat with on the phone, discuss the different viewing options, and answer any questions I had. She assured prompt pick-up from the airport, full-day excursion, and drop-off at our hotel. All of this did not disappoint! Everything was exactly as she had said it would be, which is so great when you're traveling. Now onto the actual day itself. Jennifer and Willy are both so good at what they do! I am low-key afraid of flying, but Willy is such an experienced pilot - all of the takeoffs and landings were extremely smooth and he puts you at ease. Jennifer is so knowledgable about the bears, wilderness, and National Park System (not just Alaska!). I felt completely safe when I was with them. After departing from Kodiak Island, we had an AMAZING bear viewing in Geographic Harbor. You get VERY close to the bears, which was awesome! Jennifer is guiding you throughout and promptly moved us aside if she sensed any unease with the bears passing through. Truly this experience completely blew me away. The bears are such majestic creatures and the opportunity to view their natural habitat in this way is priceless. After the first bear viewing, we hopped back on the plane and went to a beautiful lake on top of a volcanic mountain for a scenic lunch - definitely a once in a lifetime experience! Jennifer had packed these delicious wraps with many snacks and water. This was truly so relaxing I could've spent hours just sunbathing on this tiny beach by the lake. I will say that Jennifer and Willy are both so down-to-earth and it was incredibly easy to have an interesting conversation with them, and both my boyfriend and I are fairly reserved people. It was so nice and kind of surreal to just hang out and relax with two strangers in the middle of a pandemic next to a volcanic lake. Following lunch, we took off for another bear viewing. Bears were a little sparse and we opted to touch down on an isolated beach next to a giant glacier. Here we hiked along bear trails for a little while and stumbled upon a bald eagle nest with three baby eagles perched up there! This is pretty much where I realized the true beauty of this whole experience. Katmai is one of the most preserved places on our Earth. It's possible that no one has ever stepped foot on the ground we walked. Although I was tired at this point in the day, the revelation gave me energy. We departed the beach and made our way back to Kodiak where Jennifer dropped us off at our hotel. In summary, this was one of the best experiences of my life thanks to Jennifer and Willy. I HANDS DOWN 100% RECOMMEND and hope to go back someday!