Fat Bear Week 2026 is here, and voting already “broke the internet”: Meet the contenders

Sixteen bears are facing off for Fat Bear Week 2026, the highly anticipated tournament among the chunkiest bears at the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. 

The bracket for this year’s single-elimination contest expanded from last year’s 12 competitors and includes the defending champion, Chunk. 

The first round of voting started Tuesday, Sept. 22, and was extended to Wednesday after bear lovers “broke the internet,” park officials said, forcing the event’s organizers to reopen the first-round matchup because some voters weren’t able to access the polls. 

How to vote in Fat Bear Week 2026

People can vote online between noon and 9 p.m. ET for their favorite bears and choose which one has packed on more pounds for the winter season. Voting will continue through Sept. 29, when the winner of Fat Bear Week 2026 will be decided.

The voter will need to enter an email address each time for their vote to count.

The competition, which started in 2014 as a one-day event to showcase southwest Alaska bears, received more than 1.7 million votes in 2025 from more than 100 countries, according to the National Park Service.

How to watch Fat Bear Week live cam

In a series of livestreams on Explore.org, a multimedia organization that partners with the National Park Service to host the bear competition, voters can watch the bears in their natural habitat.

Several live cameras are located at Katmai National Park and Preserve, including along Brooks Falls, where brown bears are often spotted catching fish and napping.

Park rangers are also periodically available to answer audience questions about the bears through online ranger talks and Q&A sessions.

Bears have reached “peak fat”

Mike Fitz, resident naturalist at Explore.org, said Monday that the bears at the national park have reached “peak fat” after “gorging on salmon, berries and other foods” all summer.

“Bears get fat to survive, and fat is the fuel that powers their ability to endure the monthslong famine that is winter hibernation,” Fitz said during a livestream.

The giant creatures can go four to six months without eating, Katmai park ranger Troy Hunt added.

Park officials have noted that there are more cubs at Brooks Camp this year than in a long time. More than 100 different bears have been identified at Brooks River so far through the webcams, according to Fitz.

“A new generation of fat bears is taking shape, and they’re off to a strong start. We’re excited to watch them grow and learn as they prepare for winter in Katmai’s incredible ecosystem,” Park Superintendent Mark Sturm said in a statement.

Meet Fat Bear Week 2026 contenders

These 16 bears are vying to become the new Fat Bear Week champion.

32 Chunk

All eyes are on Chunk as the Fat Bear Week 2025 titleholder. He’s healed from the broken jaw he sustained last year and is ready to defend the crown.

89 Backpack

Known for his quiet toughness, 89 Backpack is identifiable through his blond ears that pop against his brown fur. 

151 Walker

A growing adult male, 151 Walker has relied on his pear-shaped body to rise through the bear hierarchy.

164 Bucky

Bucky has grown big after discovering a fishing spot that lets him catch salmon in the plunge pool at Brooks Falls as they rise from below or leap through the air.

903 Gully

Gully inspired his own name because of his unusual feeding behavior: chasing and eating gulls along Brooks River.

132

132 is one of the largest and most experienced mama bears at Brooks River. She managed to raise three growing cubs while gaining enough fat for the competition.

284 Electra

Years of experience are contained in Electra’s iconic shoulder hump, and she’s here to compete against one of her cubs, 901, while raising two spring cubs.

610

610 may be smaller than other adult females, but she’s mighty and resilient, having survived a serious injury and become independent earlier than the average bear. She has two spring cubs this year, her first known litter.

806

806 raised her own cub while adopting another, Biggie, into her life. She’s kind-hearted but willing to get her paws dirty to protect her family.

901

901 is recognized for her “exceptional fat-building ability” and strong fishing skills that have clearly been passed on to her cub.

620

620 came from a big family that traveled closely and raised cubs together. She became independent last year.

694

694 has found that he doesn’t need to compete with the older bears for salmon if he finds a different spot to feed to get ready for hibernation.

131 Marshmallow

Marshmallow, who is light brown to blond, spent her younger years developing her fishing skills, and she appears to be fatter than ever this year.

428 Studious

Studious is the daughter of Grazer, a former Fat Bear Week champion. She earned her name for her focus while fishing.

909

909 is another competitor whose parent was a former Fat Bear Week winner. She recently lost two cubs this summer.

910

910 is 909’s sister. She has learned multiple ways to catch food and found several places to do so, giving her more options for fuel.

Past Fat Bear Week winners

Over the past 12 years, there have been six champions, three of whom have been repeat winners of Fat Bear Week.

The most dominant contestant has been 480 Otis, winning the first-ever Fat Bear event in 2014 and taking the crown again in 2016, 2017 and 2021. Otis is one of the older bears at Brooks River and hasn’t been observed since the year he last won.

One of Otis’ biggest competitors was 409 Beadnose, a repeat winner in 2015 and 2018. She was estimated to be in her 20s, and she also hasn’t been spotted since she last won. Brown bears can live to be approximately 30 years old in the wild.

After several years as a favorite, 435 Holly became the first winner in 2019 who wasn’t Otis or Beadnose.

The other two repeat winners are 747 (2020, 2022) and 128 Grazer (2023, 2024), the mother of one of this year’s contenders.

And 32 Chunk (2025) is looking to join the Fat Bear Week Hall of Champions again this year, but he’ll just have to wait to find out.