That’s a curveball in a kayaking trip…
Alaska is a place were “the wild” seems to go beyond the textbook definition. Every where you look there is an amazing animal, incredible scenery and there’s always something unexpected happening. It’s why you go there in the first place… to be pushed to the limits. A state that is vastly untouched in a world where everything else seems to be.
That also means you better be pretty damn prepared when you venture off into Alaska… it’s an unforgiving place filled with daunting terrain, extreme weather, and ferocious predators… like bears.
On average, adult males black bears can weigh anywhere from 200 to 600 pounds. Black bears in Alaska are known to be some of the largest in North America, with some known reaching over 800 pounds. Despite their size, black bears are generally not aggressive towards humans and attacks are relatively rare, but it can happen. Many of these bears aren’t used to seeing humans and they tend to be a bit curious at times.
This woman was on a kayak trip through the Alaskan coast when she stopped at a cabin for some rest. After dropping of her gear inside she came out to be met by a black bear. She is doing everything right to be “bear aware” as she has bear spray on hand and is making lots of noise. She ends up using the bear spray to deter the bear from coming any closer.
But, that just angers the bear. Maybe “angers” isn’t even the proper word, but he quickly turns his attention away from her and towards this bright green chunk of plastic sitting there. Her kayak… AKA her ride home.
It turns around and ends up mauling the woman’s sea kayak as she pleads for it to stop…. and when I say plead, I mean, she hilariously and hysterically cries and begs for the bear to stop eating kayak. As much as feel sorry for the woman, who is spiraling out of control at the thought being stranded, I can’t help but laugh. She’s trying to convince the bear it doesn’t taste good, as if he can hear and understand what she is saying.
As it turns out it ruined her trip as she put in the video description:
“During a solo kayak trip, intended to go from from Ketchikan, Alaska to Petersburg, Alaska, a bear attacked my kayak. This incident occurred outside of a US Forest Service cabin in Berg Bay, Wrangell District, Alaska.
I had just carried my tent, food, and all my gear into the cabin to dry while I went on a 4 mile hike that begins just behind the cabin. I heard something outside as I ate my lunch, and well, I never got to go on that hike. This video is taken 5 minutes after the attack began, he continued to gnaw on it for another 5 or 10 after the video ends.
Shortly after the bear left and I drug the kayak back to the cabin door step. Then I swam to the S/V anchored in the bay. They did not have their radio on and I feared I would be stranded! The German flagged S/V Caledonia took me and my things to Wrangell but headed home to Ketchikan on the ferry Monday! Thanks for all the support friends!
Stranded in bear country is less than ideal… I feel her pain. But… she might have the most annoying voice in planet Earth.
Alaska man, what a wild place.
