f you visit this place, you will remember it a lifetime. If you were ever a fan of National Geographic -- where you can see wildlife up close and personal -- then this is the tour for you.
The salmon run up creeks along the Alaska coast to spawn. Actually, they swim, but they call it a "salmon run" for some reason.
The salmon do not disappoint. They are there by the thousands -- up and down the coastline as far as I know.
At the ARS, you walk along a wooden platform (don't run!), about 15 to 20 feet about the creek, at the terminus is a waterfall -- the salmon are trapped! By the thousands! The water is only a few inches deep.
And, not to disappoint, Brown Bears (which outnumber humans, by the way, on that island) are feasting! Momma bears and her cubs walk through the creek and pick through the juiciest morsels, eating the parts they like and discarding the rest. (Yes, lots of dead, mutilated salmon fill the air with an aroma you have to experience -- not unpleasant when we were there.)
Shout out to Mickie and Loki - our guides - they were knowledgeable, kind, protective, and were never annoyed at our inane questions. They protected our group like "bookends."
(My video of bears catching salmon was too big to upload -- but amazing!)