Overview

• Public voting runs Sept. 23–30 with daily hours from 12–9 p.m. ET on Explore.org/FatBearWeek.
• The contest uses a single-elimination bracket where participants select a bear and submit an email to cast a ballot.
• Reigning two-time champion 128 Grazer is pursuing a three-peat, with contenders like 32 Chunk and 602 “Floatato” drawing attention.
• Katmai’s National Park Service identifies 11 numbered entrants and provides official bios outlining size, behavior, and summer challenges.
• Organizers report over a million votes from more than 100 countries in recent seasons, supported by widely watched live cams of the Brooks River.