Wildlife Viewing
Eagles, whales, grizzly bears, and moose . . . Alaska abounds with wildlife on land and in the water.
Land-Based Animals:
Brown/Grizzly Bear:
The difference between the two is that grizzly bears are inland and brown bears reside on the coastal areas. Grizzly bears range from 6 to 7 feet and average 400 pounds. Brown bears are usually between 7 and 9 feet long and 500 to 900 pounds. For viewing opportunities check out our trips in Katmai , Denali and Tongass
Black Bear:
Males average weight is 200 pounds but can reach up to 600 pounds. They usually stand 24 to 30 inches tall and are 5 feet long. Females are 20-30 percent smaller. They eat berries, fish and plants. Seen across Alaska.
Polar bear:
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest carnivore species found on land. It is also the largest bear, together with the omnivore Kodiak bear which is approximately the same size. An adult male weighs around 350–680 kg (770–1,500 lb), while an adult female is about half that size. Although it is closely related to the brown bear, it has evolved to occupy a narrow ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting the seals which make up most of its diet. Although most polar bears are born on land, it spends most of its time at sea, hence its name meaning "maritime bear", and can hunt consistently only from sea ice, spending much of the year on the frozen sea.
Moose:
Moose are usually seen across Alaska. They average 7 feet tall at the shoulders and weigh 1,400 pounds. Females a slightly smaller, around 1,000 pounds. Alaska's moose are the largest member of the deer family.
Caribou:
usually reside in tundra areas of Alaska and occasionally in forests during the winter. They are 6-7 feet long and an average of 4 feet tall. Males are approximately 350 pounds and females 200 pounds.
Wolf:
The male average weight is 100 pounds and is 6 feet long. Females are slightly smaller. They roam across Alaska. Pack territories range from 300 to 1,000 square miles.
Dall Sheep:
Rams are usually 3 feet tall and 150 pounds. Females are a bit smaller at 120 pounds. They usually roam on open ridges and meadows with steep slopes.
Mountain Goats:
They spend their lives on cliffs with a 50 to 65 percent slope, a normal set of steps has a slop of 30 percent. Their split hooves, slab-sidded build and strong front legs make it easy for them to climb sheer mountainsides to avoid their predators.
Porcupine:
Usually weights 25 pounds and is approximately 30 inches long. They are seen across Alaska
Humpback Whales:
As baleen feeders, these whales eat mostly plankton and krill. Alaska waters are their primary feeding grounds, where they will consume about a ton of food per day. Forty feet long and weighing 30-40 tons, these gentle giants spend one-third of their lives migrating from their home in Hawaii or Mexico to their summer home in Alaska.
Gray Whales:
Leaving their winter mating grounds in Baja California, the slow-swimming gray whales follow the coastline northward. They pass through our territory during the spring (mid-April through mid-May), migrating to summer feeding areas in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. Gray whales have the longest animal migration route of any mammal- over 10,000 miles.
Orcas:
Nicknamed "killer whale" because they sometimes kill whales, orcas are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. They exhibit a highly evolved social structure, and travel in groups called "pods." Orcas are capable of speeds of 30 mph and feed on fish and other marine mammals using echo-location for capturing their prey.
Walrus:
The walrus is immediately recognizable due to its prominent tusks, whiskers and great bulk. Adult males can weigh up to 4,500 lb (2,041 kg), and are exceeded in size only by the two species of elephant seals. It is a relatively long-lived, social animal and is considered a keystone species in Arctic marine ecosystems.
Sea Otter:
The "old man of the sea," sea otters are the largest member of the weasel family in North America. They float on their backs most of the time, rolling, grooming and diving for their favorite shellfish. Males can weigh up to 100 pounds and consume 25 percent of their weight in food per day.
Seal:
Recognized by its round head and large eyes, this seal is a light-colored animal with dark markings. It is not a social animal. Unable to move well on land, they are well adapted to diving. The can retrieve food from depths up to 600 feet.
Cormorant:
The pelagic cormorant, meaning "lives most of its life at sea", red-faced and double-crested cormorants are the three species that nest in the area. Cormorants have no protective oils, so their feathers soak up with water. This gives them neutral buoyancy as they dive and paddle after fish. While on shore, they often spread their wings to dry.
Bald Eagle:
They are the largest of the North American raptors, weighing up to 13 pounds and have wingspans of about seven feet. Thousands of pairs nest along our coastline where they fish and hunt. The white head of the adult develops after four or five years
Puffin:
Dressed in their bright summer mating plumage and parrot-like beaks, tufted and horned puffins come ashore only to nest and raise their single chick. Flapping their wings, they "fly" through the water in pursuit of small fish that make up their diet. Their relatively hugh beaks allow parents to bring three or four fish at a time to their young. Members of the alcid family.
