⚠️ Warning: The following article contains jaw-dropping levels of chonk, ribald bear puns, and perhaps one too many references to “bear energy.” Proceed at your own risk.
It’s the eleventh hour (or, in bear time, maybe the hundred-and-twelfth), and the sturdiest contenders of Fat Bear Week 2025 are squaring off in the last moments of glory or, more precisely, in the last moments during which you and your iPhone can lob a vote their way. Voting wraps tonight, September 30, at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). So if you’ve been putting it off while watching talk shows or scrolling through photos of your cat, now’s the time. Vote here!
This is not a drill: in a few hours, the internet will stop comparing which bear has the roundest belly, and a champion will be crowned (or, rather, broadly acclaimed). Meanwhile, the bears themselves are blissfully unaware of your vote. They’re too busy salmon-hogging, napping, and generally living their best rotund lives.
Which Bears Are in the Final Stretch?
The full roster of contenders is fierce this year. Among the more buzzed-about names:
- 128 “Grazer”—the reigning champion and rumored dynasty candidate. https://www.firstalert4.com+2CBS News+2
- 32 “Chunk”—a perennial favorite, known for his bulk and his battle-scars, including a now-healing broken jaw. https://www.firstalert4.com+3Jsonline+3KSBW+3
- Others with strong fan followings: 910, 909, Floatato (602), 503, 856, 26, 901, and 609. Explore+4https://www.firstalert4.com+4CBS News+4
This year’s salmon bounty was exceptional, meaning the bears have had fewer territorial brawls at Brooks Falls and more relaxed fishing time. The result? They’re even chonker than usual. National Geographic+2Jsonline+2
But note: “fattest” doesn’t always translate to “heaviest.” The voting guidelines purposely leave it vague. Some people vote for pure girth, others for who looks most epic, and some even for underdog stories (say, a bear who lost a cub or survived injuries). Katmai Conservancy+4The Washington Post+4National Geographic+4
What the Fans Are Saying (In Real Time)
In the dark corners of Reddit threads, livestream chats, and Twitter storms, the bear fandom is grooming its claws:
- Some users are frantically refreshing vote pages, squealing over close matchups.
- There’s speculation about vote “spam” or bot interference. Explore.org and Katmai officials have previously flagged fraudulent votes and say they have checks in place to detect them. CBS News+3National Geographic+3The Washington Post+3
- In 2024, a whole vote scandal erupted over “several thousand fake votes” for Bear 435—but the organizers caught it and reversed it (reportedly awarding the win instead to Bear 747). National Geographic
- Some fans are reminiscing about past bear legends (especially Otis) and speculating whether 2025 has a new legend in the making.
- A few more somber voices are reminding watchers that these are wild animals; the bear cams occasionally capture raw wildlife interactions (including lethal ones), which is not for the squeamish. Reddit+2National Geographic+2
- One recurring meme: plugging in “how fat is bear X” into Google, then comparing to one’s own snack consumption. (“If 128 Grazer is 1,300 lb, I must eat at least three donuts tonight.”)
In short: the energy level is electric, the memes are flowing, and everyone is hoping their fave bear doesn’t get “bear-beat” at the last second.
What Could Go Wrong (and What to Watch For)
- Close margins: It’s not unheard of for votes to be decided by squeakers, especially in the final round.
- Vote filtering: Organizers might scrub suspicious ballots, which could shift the tally a bit after the deadline is up. National Geographic+1
- Outsized fan surges: A sudden push from a fan base in one time zone could swing things in the last hour.
- Bear antics: While we love the image of bears chomping salmon in slow motion, if one does something dramatic on cam (e.g. a fight or a spectacular catch), the crowd might swing to that in the final rush.
Final Plea to the Procrastinators
Look: we all scroll Instagram, we all say “I’ll get to it later,” and then we watch a full YouTube video before coming back. But if you’ve been delaying, now is the moment. Even if your favorite bear is already trailing, your vote might provide the moral high ground. (Also, bragging rights.)
So wear your bear T-shirt, grab a snack (preferably salmon-themed), and head to fatbearweek.org. Vote. Refresh. Meme. Repeat until the clock strikes 9 p.m. ET. Then sit back and watch as the “beefiest bruin” of 2025 is revealed.
May your bear be chunky, your memes be dank, and your vote be decisive.
