Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

Alaska is wild, untamed, and massive.

Fifteen of the 20 largest designated wilderness areas

in the United States are built in The Last Frontier,

and these untouched lands host a myriad of wildlife,

the likes of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

(bear growling)

Oh, God.

Taking pictures of the sea otters, they're so cool.

It's something that speaks to you

and very often you just sit and you look and you absorb,

and the silence is everything.

Caught a big salmon in Alaska.

I'm descended from this island.

We really do have a spiritual thing with our environment

and the animals in it.

If you like mountains, you just cannot beat Alaska.

It certainly is a trip of a lifetime.

(plane engine rumbling)

(wind whistling)

(epic music)

The giant state of Alaska is known

for its untouched wilderness, gorgeous vistas,

and amazing diversity of wildlife.

There are over 1,000 different species of vertebrates

in Alaska, and 32 types of carnivores alone,

by far the most of any state in America.

From grizzly bears, Dall sheep, mountain goats,

moose, and million upon millions of salmon.

For tourists and outdoorsmen,

a trip to Alaska is an unforgettable experience.

Alaska is just one of those places

that I tell everybody before they die

they really need to see it.

The mountains that you see, everything is so overwhelming,

and then the adventure of this place is just amazing.

The most iconic of Alaska's wildlife

is the brown bear, and its cousin the grizzly bear.

Nature lovers delight at looking at the massive predators

and these two outdoorsmen are off to a remote part

of West Alaska to find grizzly bear.

How ya doin' buddy?

A long trip to Alaska, but-- Everything show up?

We've got everything, we got all the clothes.

We're good to go.

And This area is very large and lots of the bears

have never even seen a person.

That makes it really special to come out here

and I just really enjoy being able to take guys

and show them this kind of experience.

What a day, huh?

Surprised there's no bear on that whale right now.

Something's been eating on it.

There's bears all over Kodiak

and they can be very dangerous,

but with a little bit of common sense

you can make things a whole lot easier.

Hey look at this, what's going on here?

We better be a little bit careful

'cause there has been a bear here.

This is their environment

and they live from one end of this island to the other.

They're right in town here.

So I carry my gun if I'm out.

There are few animals that demand the respect

of a big brown bear.

When you walk up on a bear that's head is as big

as a 55-gallon drum, let me tell you my friend,

you have really accomplished and done something.

It's also one of the wisest.

Its nose is said to be 10 times stronger

than that of a whitetail.

And you've gotta remember, I'm from

the state of Rhode Island, so it's pretty small

and I get to this place and it's just,

it never gets old.

It's just a giant place.

Yeah, the area we have here

is basically 90 miles by 50 miles, so--

About the size of Rhode Island.

About the size of, yeah,

real similar to the size of Rhode Island

and one thing about Alaska is we have lots of country.

Game populations aren't, like everybody thinks,

super dense everywhere.

We tend to average about one bear per five square miles.

So as a whole, there's a lot of bears in the area

but it's not like we're gonna see 10 or 12 bears a day.

(rain pattering)

We'll be getting up at noon.

We'll take stuff with us to eat for the day,

so we're gonna pick when the bears are the most active

and they're definitely the most active in the evening.

(epic music)

It's the mating season.

Everything is amped up a little bit

as far as their behavior

and they're even more unpredictable.

These bears aren't used to seeing people.

Unless they smell you, they're not sure

how they're supposed to react.

We also always want to make sure that we're aware

that they are an animal that can hurt you.

There's really nothing that compares

to a grizzly bear.

The grizzly bear here in North America

is really the most dangerous game as far as I'm concerned

and there's nothing that compares to that adrenaline rush

and just the sheer size and aggressiveness of these bears

is just amazing.

(bear growling)

Most of these bears, are they denning up.

The sows and cubs, they'll go up high,

out in the open, find a big snowdrift and dig into it,

and den up in that.

Then a lot of the boars,

they'll just find some place in the brush.

They'll wait later and they'll den lower.

Boone and Crockett definition of a grizzly bear

is anything north of the Alaska range and the 62nd parallel.

Anything south of that as brown bear,

anything that's in Canada is a grizzly bear,

anything that's on Southeast Alaska is a brown bear.

And so, we're north of the 62nd parallel

in a tundra environment.

There's something about standing in front

and being in the country of an animal

that can kill you and you see the raw power

and aggressiveness of these mature grizzlies.

(bear growling)

It certainly is a trip of a lifetime.

(plane engine rumbling)

(dramatic music)

While grizzly bear and brown bear

are the largest predators in the state,

the black bear is more common.

For adventure-seeker Melissa Bachman,

living amongst the black bears

and sleeping in a tent is paradise.

Well we've just arrived in Ketchikan,

loaded up the floatplane

and we're getting ready to head out.

Now I'm super excited.

Prince of Wales is one of my favorite places

in the whole world

and now we're getting ready to head out to the tent camp

and I can't wait.

Well our floatplane just took off

and I'm up here in the middle of Alaska.

Well, it's my fourth time up here

and the cool thing is, there's nobody around.

I've got a kayak up here, I've got another boat,

I'm in a tent camp.

No communication of any sort

but I'm hoping there's a ton of big bear out there.

Melissa's kayak is an excellent craft

for this adventure, as it allows her

to silently row up and down the shoreline

to look for black bear.

They can hear and smell everything, including me.

We just had a bear up the shore, not very far,

but he already busted out.

Now the good thing about this place, well,

you've got a lot of shoreline right now at low tide.

The bad thing, everything on this beach is noisy.

You've got clamshells that are making noise.

You've got mussels here.

And, if you want to look for things that seem to be quiet,

well you might find some kelp, but that's a bad idea

because they pop and make extra noise.

You get an entire area of them, they're popping

and you've got everything making noise.

Now we've got wind going straight down the shore.

Just a minute ago it was the other direction

so I'm almost to the point where I'm thinking

about putting flagging tape in some of the coves,

that way I know exactly what the wind is doing

where the bears are at.

The hard part is I have no idea what grass light

they're gonna come out to,

but, now we've got a wind going a little bit the other way.

(bright music)

Alaska is one of the most beautiful places

in the entire world, as far as I'm concerned.

I've been lucky enough to travel quite a few places

and if there was one spot I had to pick

to stay for the rest of my life,

well there's no question.

It would be Alaska.

Melissa maintains a safe distance

and observes the bear from her near-silent kayak,

rather than walking on dry land.

And in Alaska, the term dry land is used rather loosely.

Well it's been raining for about three days straight

and our camp, absolutely soaked.

It's made it almost impossible to get up.

Now the funny thing here, well they told me

I might need hip-waders for the trip

and I've used them before,

but I had no idea I was gonna need them

to get in and out of my gear tent.

Now right now it's completely soaked.

In fact, it's like a big water bed.

So if you want something a little more comfortable,

not the cleanest setup.

But you're welcome to sleep in my gear tent.

Alaska's probably one of my favorite places.

Overall, it's just an absolutely beautiful area

and the people are wonderful.

And the city is really cool.

Ketchikan's probably one of my favorite areas

and one of the things that you'll notice

is there are so many cruise ships coming in and out.

The town is really built for tourism.

And so as a tourist going up there,

well you will really enjoy the town

and everything it has to offer.

Now you wouldn't want to tell someone to go camping

for a week or two weeks up in Alaska on their own

if they weren't really into nature and the outdoors.

You're on your own, you're in the elements,

and you're in beautiful Alaska.

(bright music)

While some adventure seekers

are thrilled to live off-grid for solitude

for days at a time,

that isn't why couple Mike and Stacy

moved to Kodiak from Phoenix.

These two brand-new Alaskans want to experience

the beauty and wildlife of the state, without roughing it.

So they chartered an aerial tour with Alaska Air.

Hey guys, what's happening?

Hi. Hey, how you doing?

Welcome to Kodiak. Thank you.

We've got two sites here, just going around

and showing them the island, show them the sites,

hopefully see some wildlife.

Big, big difference from Phoenix to Alaska.

I think big is an understatement, it's a huge difference.

(Mike and Stacy laughing)

So this is the Havilland Beaver.

Have you all ever been in a Beaver before?

No.

Fantastic, well it's an awesome airplane.

How long have you been in a Beaver?

Well I got here this morning about eight o'clock, so.

(Mike and Stacy laughing) Here we go.

Being the first time on a floatplane,

a little nervous, but I know it'll be,

the views will be worth it.

I was watching him when he came in

and, you know. (laughs)

Hey, I'm gonna be in the back of that plane.

Seeing him drive by, or fly by,

is a lot different than actually being in it.

Riding in a Kodiak bush plane

isn't like flying a commercial airline.

The small plane bumps and kicks

with every bit of turbulence.

The seats are small, and there isn't much leg room.

But the views are amazing.

Havilland Beaver, we'll be heading

out towards Castle Bay.

Can we just take off really fast?

Ah yeah, it'll be pretty quick.

So there's no complementary drinks? (laughs)

Can tell you're in the midst of it, right?

Here we go.

(plane engine roaring) Hold on to your.

Oh, God.

I don't know if I should look at those.

Alright.

Oh, that's so different.

We're cruising here at 600 feet right now,

just so you can see stuff a little bit better.

Wow, it's such a different view.

Do you look left or you look right?

When you fly around all day,

is this your happy place

or do you have a happier happy place?

No, this is my happy place.

Have you ever had to leave anybody?

No, just the ornery passengers.

(Stacy laughing)

Alright, so we've got some goats down there.

Oh, there's a bunch of them.

Wow.

I guess those cloven hoofs

they're running on stuff at full speed

that you can hardly stand on.

Wow.

Despite its name,

the mountain goat isn't a true goat,

but rather a close relative of the chammy, or chamois,

and the Arctic musk ox.

The surefooted climber lives on rocky terrain

and has a soft inner pad on its hooves

to provide traction on slopes as steep as 60 degrees.

Everyone knows about the mountain goat

but not everybody really knows what it is.

A lot of people think that they butt heads.

They don't butt heads at all.

They stab each other.

Those little black stiletto horns,

that are about nine to 11 inches long,

and they curve back.

That's what they use to kill each other if they can do it.

They are nasty animals.

A billy will move into an area where the ewes are

during the breeding season, and if he's got competition

he doesn't just butt heads like a sheep

and try to push him away.

They actually try to kill each other.

So you don't want to get too close to a goat.

The rocky mountain goat is a uniquely North American animal.

With its long, white colourage

and its sleek black horns, no other animal looks like it.

It's in a class by itself.

And then when you're out there, don't take any chances.

Watch those rocks.

Don't step out on any rough rock edges

and just take your time.

It's important to move slowly for two reasons.

One, less likely that the goats are gonna spot that movement

and two, less likely you're gonna make a rash move

and step somewhere where you shouldn't.

Wow.

Nice.

That's pretty cool.

Every day is a new adventure, that's for sure.

Guys, it might get a little bit bumpy here.

Oh, I don't like when you do that, Peter.

Sudden squalls have picked up

and the weather is deteriorating fast.

To avoid shaking up his passengers on the pleasure flight,

Peter decides to land to wait out the weather.

So when you're flying around,

the whole time you're thinking

about a million things a minute,

but you've always gotta keep your composure

and you may look calm and collected on the outside

but on the inside you're going crazy

thinking about what can go wrong

and what you're gonna do to make it alright.

We're also flying with the wind factor here.

I've never landed in the water before.

Definitely a big difference.

(relaxed music)

What did you all think about that flight?

The views, very nice.

The turbulence, mm, not a big fan.

(Mike laughing)

You've got some activity going on out here somewhere.

Holy guacamole.

Are you trying to first aid survival?

It is towards the end of the salmon season

and the bears are more interested

in hibernating than eating.

After watching the brown move away,

Mike and Stacy will try to catch a few salmon themselves.

As their guide for the day, Peter is determined

to create the best possible experience for his clients.

Every one of these guys just embraces you

like it's their first day of the season.

They're super excited.

And that's infectious,

and that's what you want in a destination.

You want to feel like you're the only people here.

The first ones here all season,

and then you have a great time.

Uh-oh, there's another one.

Okay, fishy, fishy.

I need you in my life.

I'm gonna get that one right there.

That one's mine.

Look, you see that big old fish grab it?

Wow, did you see that?

That's the same one I'm going for.

Go try over there.

You always take my thunder when it comes to fish.

(gasps) Oh, I got it!

Oh, I got something!

Ooh, aah! (laughs)

Oh my God.

What happened?

Look I caught some grass. (laughs)

Oh, there's another one.

Got him.

Oh, that's a big one.

If it wasn't for the bush planes,

I wouldn't be catching all these big old salmon out here.

Come on.

(water sloshing)

Nice, nice. Yeah.

Check this guy out. (laughs)

Oh, that's pretty big.

Nice catch, babe.

Thank you.

Whoa!

(water splashing)

Sorry buddy.

I got it though.

There we go, alright, time to go.

Thank you.

Caught a big salmon in Alaska.

(bright music)

If the ocean is our planet's lungs

and the the rivers its arteries,

then the migrating salmon are the nutrients

that feed this vast and wild land.

Every year, millions of salmon are consumed by predators.

In fact, researchers have counted at least

137 different species that depend on the annual salmon run.

The salmon are as critical to the area's economy

as they are to its wildlife.

Alaska's Bristol Bay is home

to the largest sockeye salmon run in the world.

With 50 million sockeye returning every year,

which brings in over $500 million

for commercial and recreational fishermen.

The salmon provide nutrition to the predators

of the land, sea and air.

The magnificent bald eagle can be found on the shores

of the Alaskan rivers every year,

gorging itself on depleted salmon.

This bird of prey is an opportunistic predator,

subsisting mostly on fish

along the banks of rivers, lake and oceans.

The bald eagle is the national emblem of the United States,

though it's far more common in Alaska

than the rest of the country.

(epic music)

Far above the rivers and oceans of Alaska

are its mountain dwellers,

including the stunning white Dall sheep,

found only in Alaska and Western Canada,

Dall sheep are the northernmost

species of sheep in the world.

To get close to a Dall sheep, you have to climb

up into their world.

Wind is a big factor to sheep.

Sheep have real sensitive noses here,

especially if they've been pushed a little bit.

So you have to play the wind quite a bit

and that's always a factor in things.

You're in the most beautiful part of North America.

If you like mountains and alpine country,

where you can see forever.

Snow-capped peaks and all the rest of it.

You just cannot beat Alaska or Yukon.

All those wonderful stories of the far-north, Jack London,

you see out here, and there are a lot of sheep

and not many people so it's so accessible.

I was just amazed at how beautiful they are,

how big their horns are, just a great looking animal.

Their curved horns are made of keratin,

the same material as our fingernails.

And the age of a sheep can be calculated

by counting the number of growth rings

in their horns.

Named after naturalist William Healey Dall,

who first described the species,

the illusive Dall sheep live in tough, rugged

and beautiful country.

You come to Alaska, you look at this country,

and to some people it's just a vast, open nothing,

and to other people like me, it's everything.

I mean, this is the land people dream about.

Alaska the Great Frontier.

When you get into this wilderness,

and a wilderness this size, you can't help but be humbled.

I mean, it's just, it's something that speaks to you

and very often you just sit and you look,

and you absorb, and the silence is everything.

What power are your glasses, Chris?

10s, 10 by 42s.

But I can't make out--

You can't make it out.

I can see a horn but I can't make out that detail.

The guy on the right, right now,

looks like he's pretty heavily broomed on his left.

He's an older sheep, no question on that.

I really would like the guy on the left to get feeding again

so we could move up closer.

But if he goes over that,

you go up over the left side of this point here?

Ah, yeah.

And then pop over.

Yeah, and then pop around, level with him

or a little bit above.

I tell you, I'm not seeing any other sheep, period, so.

We want to play with this guy for a while.

Yeah.

And it's just good to know that you can come,

experience something that, Russell Annabel

and the old-time writers used to write about,

and the painters used to come and paint and draw,

and Teddy Roosevelt used to wax about,

and it's this sense that it's always been this way

in geologic time, nothing's changed here,

and it's just good to know there's a piece of the planet

where it's still the same.

Another iconic animal

that can be found in the Last Frontier

is the Alaskan moose.

Moose are the largest members of the deer family

and the Alaskan moose is the largest subspecies

of North American moose.

Alaskan moose can weigh up to 800 kilograms

and are over two meters tall at the shoulder.

Moose are grazers,

and to fuel these gigantic four-legged engines,

an Alaskan moose can devour 33 kilograms of food a day.

Unlike most other four-legged herbivores,

moose are solitary animals

and typically only come into contact with other moose

during the fall mating season.

While the Alaskan moose prefers solitude,

the caribou or reindeer travel in massive herds

of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of animals.

There are 32 different herds or populations of caribou

in Alaska, and they each travel hundreds of miles

every year in an annual journey

from the food-rich plains of the north in the summertime,

to the protected southern mountains in the winter.

(bright music)

The animals in Alaska aren't the only ones

who forage for food.

With so much edible wildlife available for harvesting,

Alaska Chef Bradley Ewing and his sister Amy

are able to find their own ingredients for gourmet meals.

Today Amy and I are trying to forage

and look for some highbush cranberry.

Let's go up this way.

Ooh, look at those.

This is where it's at, yo, they're everywhere.

There's a ton.

So these are highbush cranberries.

They are delicious.

There's so many.

Oh look. Sweet.

(Bradley wailing)

Yeah, they're super tart.

You've just gotta get over the bitterness.

Dude, you need to stop eating these.

Bradley, stop eating the cranberries.

(Bradley imitating rockets whooshing and banging)

(Bradly munching)

(Amy laughing)

With the tart cranberries gathered,

Bradley and Amy head to the coastline

to dig for clams.

Clamming is a popular activity on the shores of Alaska.

Recreational clam-bakers harvest

over 1 million littleneck and razor clams every year.

Look at how far the tide is out.

(dramatic music)

This is your average day at the beach in Kodiak.

It is a lovely day.

I mean, raining, birds, we're at the beach baby!

That one?

It's low tide, but the tide is coming in,

so we've gotta get going and just harvest

as many clams as we can before we're swimming out here.

Just trying to look for bubbles.

The clams are usually six inches to a foot below the sand.

There's one.

They give out their position by just air bubbles

essentially coming to the top.

If you know what to look for you can find anything.

Boom.

Nice. Word.

That's awesome.

Boom.

Now we need--

30 more. 30 more.

There's another one right there.

Oh, there he is.

Oh, oh man, the tide is really coming in though

so we've kind of gotta get 'em while they're here.

You're gonna get this one.

Oh man.

Whoa.

I think we're about to lose it all.

Oh man, you're about to lose it!

Oh my God.

Ah, I lost him!

You're about to lose it again.

You got it?

How did you find that?

That's good enough for me, you want to get out of here?

Yeah, I'm good.

I'm wet, the tide is high.

Another lovely day at the beach in Kodiak, huh.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The wildlife in Alaska is diverse,

abundant and amazing.

For sightseers, adventure seekers and nature lovers alike,

this is a must-see destination,

and for Alaskan natives, honoring the wildlife

is a spiritual experience.

Are the seals still there?

Is that them?

Yep.

Is this one over here?

All those ones out there just past the surf,

those are all seals.

Oh, he's curious.

We got his attention.

I'm descended from the Alutiiq people from this island

and so, we really do have a spiritual thing

with our environment and the sea, and the animals in it.

And not only is it feeding here,

you're eating really good food.

Look at that one just staring at us, mugging us.

(epic music)

The purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1857

by William Seward was quickly dubbed Seward's Folly,

or Seward's Icebox, but it has since proven

to be a rather shrewd purchase of real estate.

Alaska is blessed with many valuable resources

but its magnificent wildlife

is truly what makes this state priceless.