Fat Bear Week 2026

Fat Bear Week is a single elimination tournament where the public votes online for the fattest, most successful bear. Fatter bears have the best chances to survive winter hibernation. The bear with the most votes advances. One winner is crowned Fat Bear Week champion on Tuesday, September 29th.

Fat Bear Week has grown from a little known, one-day event with 1,700 votes in 2014 to a worldwide celebration of Katmai’s bears. About 1.2 million votes were cast from more than 100 countries in Fat Bear Week 2024.

Voters decide by comparing early and late summer photos of the bears. Meet the bears and consider each bear’s life history and the unique challenges they face to survive. Join live Fat Bear Week events with park rangers and other experts to learn more about Katmai and its bears. Look for voters campaigning for their favorite bears using #FatBearWeek on social media.

Voters can support Katmai’s brown bears and salmon by contributing to the Katmai Conservancy’s Otis Fund. Donate between September 22nd and October 3rd for the opportunity to get your contribution matched by explore.org. Join us on October 3rd for our annual online Fat Bear Week Celebration Fundraiser. We’ll honor this year’s Fat Bear Week champion and explore the vital work of Katmai Conservancy in supporting Katmai National Park and Preserve.

Fat Bear Week is an election that celebrates the success, adaptability, and resiliency of Katmai’s bears. Fat bears exemplify the richness of Katmai National Park and Bristol Bay, Alaska - a wild region that is home to more brown bears than people and the largest, healthiest runs of sockeye salmon left on the planet.