September 2026

Fat Bear Week

Every fall the bears of Katmai get FAT and we get to see it. How lucky.

Finished. Left here as it stood.

There is a river in Alaska with salmon in it. There are bears eating the salmon. There are cameras pointed at the bears. I have lost entire days to it and I intend to lose more.

Click here for Fat Bear Week updates

At the time of writing, we near the end of the summer salmon migration, an event which draws tens of bears to various spots along the Brooks River in Katmai national park, where live-streamed cameras give us a window into their beary interesting lives.

A few important things about bears:

They are not people, and do not subscribe to human concepts of morality. Bears will kill and eat other bears, even cubs. This is nature. The bears do not know about right and wrong, so they cannot be considered "good" or "bad" bears in this way.
There are a few important stages of a bears life: cubs (the true babies, dependent on mom entirely), yearling cubs (tweenagers at 1 year old, still with mom), subadults (teenage bears, lanky and emancipated from mom), and adults. The babiest cubs with mom are called "coys" for Cub Of the Year.
Bears are hard to identify at first, and you don't really need to. With time you might recognize a few from the cubs they are with, other commenters, their fishing spot, their fishing style, or appearance like scars, size, and fur colors.
I'm sure there's other stuff I forgot, I'll come back.

Some time in the fall the park takes the fattest (or most beloved) of them, puts them in a bracket, and lets the public vote. The bears are not informed. They are asleep in a hole.

Watch the Bears:

Click here if the player fails

When

At the time of writing, it is ~~T-1 day until~~ day 1 of Fat Bear Week 2026! I'm so happy. This year, Fat Bear Week runs from September 22nd through 29th, with voting open 12pm-9pm EST each day --> Don't forget to vote!! Matchups are open for voting September 22 - 29 between 12 - 9 p.m. Eastern / 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Pacific / 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Alaska.

What I am looking for

Not the biggest bear. The best bear. There is a difference and I will die on this hill. Most improved is a great qualifier.

The field

Subject to the park, the salmon, and the bears themselves.

128 · Grazer
my favourite

For reasons inexplicable and cruel, Grazer has been excluded from this years competition. Perhaps it just wouldn't be fair to all the other bears.
132 · family
3 snuggamuffins and a mama

132 was able to reuite with her lost baby after several days, almost certainly due to being awesome and cool.
284 · family
snuggle bugs

I have some screenshots of these guys from the live cam. They snuggled and played and won my heart.
806 · Jolly
controversial pick

Adopted 128jr subadult while having her own coy. Also ate a cub. I have mixed feelings.
901 · family
good mane on the baby

Lost one of her cubs this year, but she has pushed through and taken good care of the other.
909
daughter of a former champ

Daughter of Beadnose, unfortunate track record as a mother.
428 · Studious
bears for education

Daughter of the queen, Grazer.
131 · Marshmallow
soft, squishy

Need more be said?
910
Big Back

She has grown BROAD.
694 · subadult
good round belly

Glad to see the youth (subadults) in the community stepping up to the plate.
620 · subadult
increased density

Fantastic fat distribution.
610 · family
independent woman

Earlier this year, 610 and her cubs were vibrant blondes. Just in time for fall, they've shifted to dark chocolate locks.
89 · Backpack
used to hop on mamas back. aw.

Got that classic bear-tato body.
32 · Chunk
defending

Took it last year. Broad, unbothered, built like an industrial refrigerator.
164 · Bucky
office manager

Rather territorial about his fishing spots, and it shows in his physique.
151 · Walker
katmai's hottest bachelor

Gorgeous, gorgeous hot walker
903 · Gully
eeyore

gully is a bird afficianado.