Honestly, if you haven’t spent an afternoon refreshing a livestream of a river in rural Alaska just to see a 1,200-pound animal catch a fish with its face, have you even lived? Fat Bear Week is the internet's favorite tradition for a reason. It's basically March Madness, but instead of basketball players, we have massive brown bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve. The goal? Be the fattest. In 2025, the stakes felt weirdly high.
People take this seriously. Like, "arguing in the comments section about bear jaw health" seriously.
The 2025 competition was one for the history books. We saw legends fall and a long-time underdog finally take the crown. If you missed the chance to vote Fat Bear Week 2025, you missed a redemption arc better than most Hollywood movies.
The Champion of 2025: All Hail Chunk
After years of being the bridesmaid, Bear 32, affectionately known as "Chunk," finally did it. He won.
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It wasn't even close in the final round. Chunk went up against the veteran heavyweight Bear 856 and absolutely crushed it. We’re talking 96,350 votes for Chunk compared to 63,725 for 856. That’s a massive margin. But the win was about more than just numbers; it was about the fact that Chunk arrived at Brooks River this summer with a broken jaw.
Imagine trying to eat 40+ salmon a day—which is what these guys need to survive hibernation—while your jaw is literally broken.
He didn't get help. There are no bear doctors in Katmai. The wild is just the wild. Chunk just figured it out. He adapted his fishing style, bulked up to an estimated 1,200 pounds, and waddled his way into the hearts of over a million voters. Seeing him go from a runner-up in 2023 and 2024 to the 2025 champion was just... satisfying.
The Bracket Breakdown
The tournament officially ran from September 23 to September 30. It’s a single-elimination bracket, and every day you head to fatbearweek.org to cast your vote.
- The Early Rounds: We saw some fresh faces, like the newcomer 602 (nicknamed "Flow-tato" for his habit of dancing in the water).
- The Semi-Finals: This is where things got spicy. The two-time defending champ, 128 Grazer, actually got knocked out. She’s a fan favorite—a fierce mom who takes no nonsense—but the public decided Chunk’s "broken jaw comeback" was the narrative of the year.
- The Finals: It was a clash of the titans. Chunk vs. 856. 856 is the "old man of the river," a former dominant male who has been around forever. But 2025 was Chunk's year.
How to Vote Fat Bear Week 2025 (and Future Years)
The process is pretty straightforward, but you have to be quick because the voting windows are short. Each day, usually between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET, the matchups for that round go live.
- Go to the site: You visit explore.org or fatbearweek.org.
- Look at the "Before and Afters": This is the best part. They show you a photo of the bear in July (usually looking a bit scruffy and thin) and a photo from September (looking like a giant overstuffed beanbag).
- Submit your email: To keep things fair, you have to enter an email address to vote. One vote per person per matchup.
- Watch the live results: The bars move in real-time as the world decides which bear looks most prepared for a long winter's nap.
Don't forget Fat Bear Junior, either. That happened a few days before the main event (September 18-19). In 2025, the winner was 128's Yearling. It seems the "fat" gene runs strong in Grazer’s family.
Why We Care About Fat Bears
It sounds like a joke, but a fat bear is a healthy bear. When these animals head into their dens for hibernation, they don't eat or drink for months. They lose about a third of their body weight. If they don't have enough fat reserves, they simply won't wake up in the spring.
Katmai is special because of the sockeye salmon run. It’s one of the last places on Earth where the ecosystem is so healthy that bears can get this big. When you vote Fat Bear Week 2025, you're actually celebrating a successful conservation story.
The 2025 season was particularly good for the bears. The salmon run was exceptional. Ranger Naomi Boak mentioned that bears like 901 were "fatter than ever." Even with the drama of injuries and hierarchy shifts, the bears of Brooks River are thriving.
Identifying the Stars
Since the bears aren't tagged or collared, the rangers identify them by things like ear shape, scars, and personality.
- 856: Huge, tall, and historically the boss of the river. He's the veteran.
- Grazer (128): Blond ears, very protective, and notoriously fast at catching fish.
- Chunk (32): Distinguishable by his narrow-set eyes and, this year, his distinctive jaw.
It’s easy to get attached. You start recognizing them on the live cams and suddenly you're checking in on "your" bear while you're supposed to be in a Zoom meeting.
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What’s Next?
Now that the 2025 crown has been handed out, the cameras eventually go dark as the snow starts to fall in Alaska. The bears are all tucked away in their dens by now, using up those hard-earned fat reserves.
If you want to stay ahead for 2026, start watching the Brooks Falls cams in July. That’s when the "lean" photos are taken. You can track their progress all summer long.
Keep an eye on the official Katmai National Park social media pages around mid-September next year. They always announce the bracket reveal date about a week before the voting starts. Based on the 2025 schedule, expect the Fat Bear Junior bracket around September 16th and the main event to kick off around the 22nd or 23rd.
The best thing you can do right now is check out the high-res "after" photos of Chunk. It’s a genuine marvel of nature how much weight a mammal can put on in just three months.