Fat Bear Week returns tomorrow with some of the largest brown bears on Earth competing for one of the most unusual wildlife titles of the year.
The annual tournament celebrates the brown bears of Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska, as they prepare for winter hibernation. Voting for the 2026 competition begins September 22nd and continues through September 29th, with fans choosing which bears best demonstrate the fatness and success needed to survive another winter.
Fat Bear Week Voting Begins September 22
Fat Bear Week is organized by Explore.org and features a single elimination tournament. Four matchups will be available for voting on September 22nd, with additional rounds continuing throughout the week before the competition reaches its final round.
Voting will be available each day from noon to 9pm Eastern, 9am to 6pm Pacific, and 8am to 5pm Alaska time. Fans can vote by clicking or tapping on their preferred bear. The voting system requires an email address and allows one vote per email for each poll. Results can be viewed after voting, although voters may need to refresh the page if updated totals do not immediately appear.
Meet the Bears Competing for the Crown
This year’s competition features bears identified by numbers and names including 132, 284, 806, 901, 909, 428 Studious, 131, 910, 694, 620, 610, 89 Backpack, 32 Chunk, 164 Bucky, 151 Walker and 903 Gully.
Fans are encouraged to learn more about the individual bears before voting. A downloadable bracket is also available for anyone who wants to predict the eventual champion and follow the tournament throughout the week.
While sheer size is an obvious factor, Fat Bear Week is intended to recognize the broader challenges bears face during the summer. Mothers must build fat reserves while caring for cubs, younger bears are developing the skills necessary to survive and adult bears compete for access to productive fishing areas.
Why Fat Bears Matter in Katmai
The bears of Katmai reach their greatest weights during late summer and early fall after spending months consuming as much food as possible.
Salmon are particularly important at Brooks River, where bears gather from late June through mid October to take advantage of one of the most productive feeding opportunities in the region. Bears can lose roughly one third of their body weight during hibernation, making the accumulation of fat reserves critical to surviving the winter.
Fat Bear Week offers a lighthearted way to celebrate these animals while highlighting the importance of the salmon runs and wild ecosystem supporting them. Voting begins September 22nd, giving bear fans around the world another chance to follow the competition and decide which Katmai brown bear deserves the 2026 Fat Bear Week crown. Don’t forget to vote!