Specialized Tours of Sitka

04/24/2025

With spring well and truly here, wild bears are waking from the winter torpor. Let’s remember to be bear aware! Your actions can help keep wild bears safe. If you live in bear country, be mindful how you manage your potential bear attractants. Make sure any livestock or chickens you keep are in secured areas (preferably hot wired) and refrain from putting smelly trash outside before the morning of pick up. Our bears are pretty good at demonstrating how easily they can destroy trash cans - come and join us for this year’s annual Bear Awareness Day on May 17th to learn more about what we can do as a community to keep bears wild and safe.

04/20/2025

The Easter Bunny paid the bears a visit this morning! Our keeper team helped out by creating paper maché eggs earlier this week, using colorful tissue paper and a non-toxic flour and water paste mixture. The hollowed out eggs were filled with yummy treats and hidden around the habitats for the bears to find.

04/17/2025

Retired Col. Nicole Malachowski served 21 years in the Air Force and became the first woman to fly with the elite Thunderbirds demonstration team.

04/01/2025

In Sitka, the moon shines with stunning clarity, especially on crisp, clear nights. With minimal light pollution, its glow reflects beautifully over the ocean and mountains, creating a breathtaking scene. Whether it’s a glowing crescent or a full moon casting light over the landscape, Sitka’s skies make it easy to admire every detail.

📸 Photo Creds to @ laniekhill on Instagram (Please dm for credit or removal)

04/01/2025

One of the best pranks to ever happen on April Fool's Day happened right here in Sitka, Alaska!

On April 1st, 1974, Sitka residents woke up to a beautiful day...and a smoking Mount Edgecumbe volcano. Panic ensued and shortly, a Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to fly over the volcano to investigate. When he flew over the crater, he saw a large pile of tires engulfed in flames, sending dark smoke up into the sky. Next to the pile were the words "APRIL FOOL," spray painted onto the snow.

As it turns out, the elaborate prank was local prankster Oliver "Porky" Bickar's idea. He thought of it three years prior, but needed to wait for an April Fool's morning that had clear skies and enough visibility for the volcano to be seen from town. With the help from some friends and a Petersburg helicopter pilot, Porky dropped off 70 tires into the crater and set them on fire.

Although Porky passed away in 2003, his prank won't soon be forgotten. It is listed as Number 3 in the Museum of Hoaxes's Top 100 April Fool's Pranks of all time, and the Guardian lists it in their Top 10 Best April Fool's Pranks.

Photo taken by Harold Wahlman: April 1, 1974

03/31/2025

03/29/2025

03/23/2025

03/23/2025

03/23/2025

01/09/2025

05/22/2024

Toby enjoying some hanging willow browse! Hanging branches as enrichment is a great way to encourage the bears to stand on their hind legs, stretching out their muscles. They will often stand on their hind legs in the wild to manipulate plants and pull them into reach, foraging on tasty seasonal morsels, like buds, berries, or yummy willow catkins!