*** Warning *** Do not use Scenic Bear viewing company. We booked a trip with them to see the bears. When we landed in Anchorage, we received a message that Martin had stained his foot and had to cancel. We were devastated that we might miss a trip we were dreaming about, but accidents happen and did not blame him for getting hurt. We were told we would receive our money back within 30 days. We scrambled and were about to take a trip with Smokey Bay air (go there!). Well its been over 75 day and no refund and does not respond to emails at all. So now I have to file complaints and take them to court to get my money back. Do not use this company if you can't afford to be without $2300 for nothing. read more

DO NOT BOOK with this company - it is a scam. While his sites are now showing as closed I am posting this in case they are active again in the future. My husband and I booked a bear viewing trip in July 2025 for my birthday. The day before the trip the owner cancelled because he "sprained his ankle". He assured my husband we would be refunded in full but several months later and after many attempts to contact him we have not received a refund. This is apparently not the first time this has happened. We have sought legal action and just hope to help other hard working individuals avoid getting their money stolen from this man again. read more

My one Star Experience with Scenic Bear View AK This will be a long but I will do my best to give facts and I will try my best to be unbiased (Obviously I will not be able to be completely unbiased because I am very frustrated and thats impossible for one person so please check out his response that I am sure will be posted by Scenic Bear View) My wife and I were very excited for our trip we got everything booked and my wife found this company we were nervous because it was a small company but Very high reviews. After we got everything booked in Alaska I did a repelling day trip on July 13th with some friends down a 200 foot waterfall and because of a mishap I ended up falling 50 ft. Put me in the hospital for about a week in the ICU for most of that time. I had to have search and rescue come get me and Life Flight even came but I was able to take an ambulance to the hospital with fortunately only a broken back and tailbone (I had to get a spinal fusion with screws and rods put in my back the next day) but unfortunately I was no longer fit to travel to Alaska because of the surgery and intense recovery While I was in the hospital my wife messaged everybody that we booked something with and they gave us a refund, and we get to Scenic Bear View, and that seems to go smoothly, but I'm unable to verify that we received the promised refund because didn't have my phone for a while. When I was finally able to verify I learned we didn't receive the money. I had no idea where he said he sent it. I trusted that he sent it but it was not in the coinbase account (The reason we used coinbase is because he said if we use cryptocurrency he would give us $100 per person discount. So I thought why not?) so I started digging trying to figure out why we didn't get the money he sent us over the wallet that he sent it to. To our horror we saw that it was an incorrect wallet. He said he sent it to the wallet that we sent it from and so I was so confused how that could that be the incorrect wallet? I mean I did verify what he said, I did send the currency from that wallet, why don't I have access to it? What I found out happened. When I set up my coinbase account I set up my wallet as a rotating wallet (coinbase offers that for an extra layer of security) so when he didn't verify what account to send the money to it went to a coinbase holding account, we did not know about this and reached out to coinbase for some answers two times but they did not tell me what was going on. They just said that we need the transaction Hash ID. And this is where all the headache happens. I tried to explain that. I may have not been as clear because it's a confusing situation and he responds "I'm not going to double refund you" I'm not asking for a double refund. I just want him to get The money back that he tried to transfer me and then transfer it to the correct wallet. I've asked multiple times if he's willing to work with me All I'm asking for is the transaction hash ID for proof that he tried to send the money. This is a quote from one of his email to me After I decided to give him a call and see if we could work things out a little bit over the phone instead of going back and forth through email. When he picked up the phone he said this is a bad time and he hung up on me after I said this is Alec Matthews. "This whole thing is your fault because yeah you sent it from the address that you don't even wasn't even yours so I mean oh my God. Why didn't you say something when you wanted to cancel?" We asked for a refund July 15 I took over figuring this out July 26. It's now September 1st, it's been over a month. He has been very demeaning in other emails and says "Most people over 30 have learned some self preservation skills and don't repel off of waterfalls with wet slippery rocks. You screwed up there ..." implying that I shouldn't enjoy my hobbies because I'm to old and they are too dangerous and stupid. Then in the same email brags and says "I back away 1200 lbs bears and turn away 800 lbs boars charging me" In his cancellation, policy he says that he will refund 90% he claims he gave us 100% refund. I appreciate that that was incredibly nice. If he really did try to send it, I'm just asking for proof that he did, but he has yet to send proof. So I'm finally resorting to reviews because emailing seems to be getting me nowhere. And it seems to have worked because he now says that he spent 2 hours on the phone with Coinbase then sends an email that says "The transaction hash id will not help you now. ..." "Your actions now will determine how much trouble and money it will cost you. So far it's only 10.175 Solana. That's going to add up every day you delay." He has admitted that he has the promised refund but will not provide it as agreed upon. Now am I saying you should not use him? No, I'm just explaining my experience. My experience with him has been very much a one star. read more

What an experience! If you are looking to see bears up close, and to also see some amazing views, then this is where you want to go. Martin was such a great guide with all of his knowledge and experience. We were grouped with another three people, and it made it such a great day. He made us feel very safe while we were viewing bears. I never thought that we would have gotten to see three different bears, and be able to view them so closely. Definitely a trip of a lifetime! Would highly recommend Martin. read more

This trip far exceeded my expectations and I was blown away by how many bears we got to see on our tour. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience to be that close to the bears in Lake Clark National Park. You can tell that Martin loves his job and is great at it. We also felt extremely comfortable with him as our guide. He is very experienced and well trained. You can tell this because the bears look at him as a leader. Having someone well trained and experienced was really important to us, especially when viewing bears in their natural habitat. I'm so glad that we went with an experienced guide and this company! We got there earlier than any of the other planes and spent a lot of time watching the bears in the water, in the meadows, and from the viewing area. We got really lucky to see a mama bear and her cubs nursing really close up. The mama bear walked up nearby us and started nursing her cubs. It was both amazing and surreal to watch. I realize that this doesn't happen every tour, although just seeing the bears is a once in a lifetime experience and well worth the money. The memories I have from this tour are priceless and Martin really cares about the experience that those on the tour are having. We were lucky that we got to stay out there longer than other planes did to view the bears. There are cheaper tours, although it was worth paying a little more for a highly experienced guide that knew what he was doing and to spend more time with the bears. The views on the way to Lake Clark National Park are also amazing! Martin has been flying planes for a long time and I felt really comfortable with him being such an experienced pilot! Flying out of Homer is a lot shorter of a flight than some of the other tours that start in Anchorage, which is really nice. Martin was really knowledgeable and was able to tell us a lot about the bears and answer all of the questions that I had. I feel that I learned a lot about bears during this tour as well as had an incredible experience. I highly recommend going with this company and having Martin as your guide! Some tips: *Bring your camera! We had a camera that took better quality pictures and used another one for videos. *Consider wearing a bug or mosquito repellent long sleeve shirt. There were some what I believe to be horse flies that land on you at Lake Clark National Park. You can flick them off, although our guide wore a mosquito or bug repellent shirt and that seemed to detour them from him. *Bring your lunch with you and water! They say not to bring anything that creates crumbs or just have something to put under it to not leave any trace of food behind. You will get hungry and thristy while you are out there so come prepared. read more

This was a once in a lifetime experience. I was so scared (we don't have bears in Hawaii!) but this was not scary. Martin is an experienced guide and pilot. From the gorgeous plane ride both directions to the up close viewing of the bears....simply WOW! Martin also takes amazing photos of the adventure which he shares. You cannot come to Alaska without doing this tour! read more

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Omg! By far the BEST thing I have experienced while in Alaska and I have been fortunate to do a lot in the past 2 weeks. Money well spent, expensive but worth every penny! Martin was really terrific and went out of his way to make us welcome and give us the best and most up-close experience of bear watching that I could have expected. We were fortunate to spend quite a bit of time up close to a momma and her cub while momma clammed and baby rolled in the mud and scratched. We also saw a bear sleeping on a rock- she didn't seem to care one bit that we were right next to her. Off in the distance another bear was running and playing w/ the seagulls in the water. If you have the time and the money this is an experience that you should not pass up! If I could give 10 I would! Thanks, Martin!!! read more

Scenic Bear Viewing - Momma and baby taken from iPhone - Tours Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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I had a wonderful day on a beautiful beach watching the bears! Our guide Martin was an informative down to earth guy and gave us a great experience. read more

Scenic Bear Viewing - Tours Near Me - Homer, Alaska

*refer to google reviews for screenshots and direct comments of the business owner. Run away from this company. Great until you need to cancel. We booked this trip in June and we're very excited and happy with the booking process. In July my husband was involved in a rappelling accident and fell 50 ft. He shattered multiple vertebrae and broke his tailbone and we spent several days in the ICU. Because of his accident, we had to cancel our entire Alaska trip. We reached out on July 15 to inform Martin of our situation. We had paid through coin base (as this was the preferred method and would give us a discount) Martin said he would refund us and then sent the money over to an unconfirmed account. This account turned out to be a general coin base account. Not our personal account. We corresponded with Martin explaining that we did not have access to the account and therefore did not receive the money. We asked if he'd be willing to help us get the money into our account (as we cannot access money we didn't transfer) and he said "I don't want to double refund you. This is your responsibility to figure out." As he was unwilling to help, we reached out to coin base to see if they could help us. They informed us the only way to get further help, was to ask for a transaction hash ID from the original person who made the transaction. We asked Martin through email for this and also attempted to call. His email response was the following, "Oh my god, You don't understand swamped with work. I just landed when you called and we had to fuel to immediately takeoff again. Why did you call anyway when I told you we are swamped and I won't be able to deal with this for a week or two? This whole thing is your fault". When we called on the phone he said it wasn't a good time and immediately hung up. It is now August 27 and we still do not have our money back and have not heard from Martin. That is $1600 that was promised as a refund. It has been a difficult time for us with many medical bills and a long road of recovery still ahead. I am shocked that a company, let alone a human, would treat someone so poorly. I'm all about supporting small businesses, but in this case, take your business elsewhere. Very unprofessional. Horrible experience. Upon posting our google review and emailing again asking for help, he resulted to name calling and threatening a lawsuit. He admitted to getting our money back from an unknown wallet, (coin bases default setting is to rotate accounts and he didn't confirm which account to send it to, therefore sending it to a coin base account) and says that it's going towards our lawsuit if we don't give him a 5 star review. still refuses to give promised refund. read more

OMG, book your trip today! We spent an amazing day within feet of bears the whole time. Martin is like the bear whisperer...had us walking up so close that you could hear them chewing. Freakin' amazing!!! read more

Scenic Bear Viewing - Tours Near Me - Homer, Alaska

Holy shit, if you want to see bears, this is the only way to go. 6 of us flew onto the peninsula beach and walked out to a large meadow with a bear every 100 yards. Martin walked us close to the bears, and we even had a cub come within 4 feet of us. We saw them eating, clamming and running..... THIS WAS A DREAM COME TRUE!!!!!!! read more

This will be one of the most memorable experience I have had. To be so close to the bears that you can hear them breathing and digging for clams. We will always remember this experience truly incredible. Martin is an excellent pilot and guide. The pictures he took are great the plane ride and the landing on point. Would highly recommend this to anyone just a great time. Absolutely wonderful! read more

Had a great trip. Martin was a full professional and made us feel comfortable and safe. We got to within 30 feet of 4 Bears. Martin took great pictures for us, and the plane ride was smooth. read more

What a truly amazing experience! Martin was wonderful, kind and super awesome with our kids. He was confident and knowledgeable and put us at ease with the bears and the flight over. This was a once in a lifetime adventure for us and we are so grateful we were there with Martin and chose Scenic Bear Viewing. Our family will be reveling in these memories for the rest of our lives. Magical! read more

My husband and I took the Classic Bear Viewing trip with Martin in early Aug. I had read about bears fishing for salmon in Alaska and was very keen to observe it. Therefore, as soon as I started putting our Alaskan itinerary together, I added the Bear Viewing trip to our plans. I knew it would be something special but in reality, it went way beyond my wildest dreams. A lot of the credit for our amazing experience goes to Martin - our pilot and guide. It started with the plane ride in a 6-seater to the Clark Natl Park across the bay-- smooth and such spectacular sights of the volcanic mountain, the landscape (we flew so thrillingly close that at one point, I thought the wings might clip the mountainside), brilliant blue and green color of the bay and finally landing on the beach. We were there for several hours and got to view five bears in actions (stalking, fishing of salmon) including some complicated dynamics and power play between the more seasoned female bear and the younger ones. Two of them even walked to the river within 10 feet of where we were crouching and silently observing. That was definitely a goose-bumpy moment. However, at no time did we feel anxious or alarmed as Martin, with his calm demeanor and extensive experience and knowledge, inspired great confidence. We could have happily sat there and continued to watch them the entire day. Undoubtedly the most memorable part of our Alaskan holiday. A BIG thanks and THUMBS UP for Martin and his team. read more

We researched and read many reviews for the best bear viewing in Alaska and found "Scenic Bear Viewing".  Prior to scheduling a day, we had some questions and concerns.  Martin responded promptly, assuringly and thoroughly months ahead.  We scheduled our tour for Tuesday, July 6, 2021.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate that early morning and Martin apologized for the delay.  Since we had a flight out that night from Anchorage (5 hour drive), we had a decision to make about whether to stay.  Martin did not sway us, was patient and understanding.  We were most impressed with his emphasis on flight safety and the caution exercised.  Our story could have ended there had we driven off.  About one hour later, we were informed to head on over to the Homer airport.  The weather cleared and the trip was on!  We got outfitted with boots (waders) and climbed aboard with another very nice couple.  The takeoff was flawless as the skies cleared even more.  We flew across the inlet to a remote area where the brown bears hunt for clams.  Imagine landing on a beach in paradise.  The adventure began without delay.  We spotted several bears immediately.  I will leave what transpired to the imagination, only to say that the experience is the stuff off dreams and fantasies.  Martin was informative, interesting, and quite reassuring in the presence of wild beasts that could use you as a frisbee at free will.  His calm demeanor accompanied a profound enthusiasm for these amazing animals.  We had plenty of time for photography and videography for the duration and any questions we could divine.  It became obvious during our outing that Scenic Bear Viewing stood considerably above and beyond other tours.  We enjoyed a relaxing lunch while Martin shared more of his experiences.  As the tide rose and the wind picked up, our best bear friends bade us farewell for the day and we prepared for the return trip to Homer.  This ranked tops in my lifetime as the most spectacular, jaw-dropping, unbelievable, out-of-this-world flight.  You will see why when you fly it, weather permitting.  So this ranks as one of the most memorable days of my life.  Just pinch me.  It was exceptional, thrilling and elevating - no pun intended.  You'll experience a great round trip flight of a lifetime with unmatched views and an experience with these gentle giants that will stay with you forever.  "Scenic Bear Viewing" says it all.  But expect even more, and then celebrate.  This was the grand finale of our Alaskan trip.  Don't forget to bring an extra battery and keep your fingers on the camera shutter! read more

Martin Boland has years of experience with another firm in flying happy customers to see brown bears on the Alaska Peninsula. On our tour he was a "bear magnet" -- the bears trusted him as much as the customers do. Check out my photo on his website to see just how close the sow and her two cubs came to us as they walked along the beach. He's also an easy-going guy and a superb pilot. Who would you rather travel with -- a group of 20 in four planes or a group of five in one plane? Go with Martin! read more

The absolute high light of our Alaskan trip saw many bears digging clams up on the beach so close you could hear the crunch of the clams by the bears,See bears chase each other down the beach ,Wow,Martin was so knowledgeable of bears and flying ,Please help support this small business man you won't regret it.Alex Susie S. read more

This was such an amazing adventure for me being an exchange student and when i was told i was going on a bear viewing trip i wasn't expecting to see as much bears i saw and wasn't thinking i would have gotten the beautiful view i got. Fortunately Martin Boland is a very awesome tour guide and is very good at his job, i got as close as 7 feet from the bears. if i could rate it anymore than 5 stars i will. read more

This has been a truly amazing adventure for us all! Our family of 5 including me, my husband and two children plus my mom spent an unforgettable afternoon with Martin and the bears at Lake Clark National Park. We saw 15 bears in total, observed 8 of them in close proximity (about 10 meters away) , and two nursing sessions with two different mom-and-cubs! Granted, we were extremely lucky where weather, timing and location all lined up perfectly. Another day or a different place may bring different experiences; however, there are a few things I'd strongly recommend about Martin and Scenic Bear Viewing. No matter when and where you end up going to see bears, those key qualities will make your experience so much more enjoyable! Experienced experienced experience! Riding a small airplane to see wild animals is risky business! Finding a trustworthy pilot was my number 1 priority. Martin has 31 years of flying experience, 13,000 flight hours with perfect record. I was a bit worried about my Mom as she has motion sickness sometimes when riding a car or big airplanes, but the ride with Martin was so smooth that nobody felt anything even during takeoff and landing. Having worked as tour guide prior to opening his own business, Martin has many years of experience navigating the local bear habitat. He has also accumulated lots of experience in close encounters with bears. He is calm, composed and tactical when he led us through the wilderness tracking down bears, and when we observed the bears in close quarters. He is also a good storyteller and shared a lot of background about the bears and local geography. Everybody was entertained during the trip. Martin has good instincts about nature. He supersedes some of the Ecologists I've met in the past (trained as a biologist myself). It's also quite evident to me that Martin loves his job! What bigger drive is there than passion? I have no doubt he will only become better at what he does! read more

Pleasure time at bear's season beginning. We started the 2017 bear season with Martin's help, on May 10th 2017. In fact, we were the first group. On land, he gave us a briefing of what we could expected off the experience in "Scenic Bear Viewing" and explained us about flying security. Before the plane take off, he made a check list. That gave us a very good sensation that we would be in good hands. In fact we have had a pleasure half day with a bear in a nice beach near Homer. We have being closer enough to take very good pictures. On our fly back, we have appreciated mountains and glaciers. We recommend this trip with Martin. And we are sure that you will love it. read more

Our family joined Martin Boland's bear viewing trip in July and it was great, it deeply impressed my 10 years old boy who wrote the followings: - "Hey guys, if you are ever going to Alaska, you have to go to Homer. There are lots of animals, and great food. Also lots of planes. But, most importantly, you have to go on a plane ride with Martin Boland. His 29 years pilot history and years bear viewing tour guide experience in Katmai National Park. He makes great predictions with rich experience. We were walking by the river when we saw a mum bear, with two cubs. They were so cute! Since they were eating a kind of sedge that is salty, he predicted a spot by the river. Suddenly, a male/boar came. The boar walked toward the cubs and so they walked away, afraid. They walked towards us for protection, and sat just a few feet away. One of the cubs saw no harm in us, so came closer, within one feet, thinking we could play. We took pictures, and you can see them on Martin's face book account. They were super close, close enough that when the mom feeds the Cubs, we could see the strands of milk. Definitely, go to Martin Boland if you like the wild, the animals, bear dung, flying, and a pure view of the nature." read more

Best bear viewing trip I've ever had. Our pilot and guide Martin was excellent. He was knowledgeable and knew just where to see the Bears as they crossed our paths within 60 feet at times. We were a group of 4 friends and that was better than a group of 10-20 people on a tour. It was personable and a pleasant experience. I highly recommend him as he only takes up to five people so you get a lot of attention and are well informed. If I'm ever back in Homer, AK I would take his tour again. It's pricey but worth every penny. read more