For many travelers, Alaska is defined by its wildlife: brown bears fishing for salmon, humpback whales surfacing beside the boat, and bald eagles perched above a river. Animals here live across a huge range of habitats, from coastal rainforest and fjords to open tundra and Arctic sea ice. Whether you’re traveling by ship, on a
land tour, or staying at a wilderness lodge, here’s what to look for and where you’re most likely to see it.
Bears
Alaska is home to three bear species: brown bears (including grizzlies), black bears, and polar bears. Alaska has more than 98 percent of the brown bears in the United States. Brown bears live in most of the state, from coastal areas rich in salmon to open tundra in the Interior. Coastal brown bears grow larger than inland grizzlies because of their salmon-rich diet.
Kodiak bears, a subspecies of brown bear, live only in the Kodiak Archipelago. Large males can reach about 1,500 pounds in the fall, when they’re heaviest. Polar bears live on the sea ice of Arctic Alaska and are rarely seen on typical trips.
Black bears are smaller and tend to stay in forested areas, where their short, curved claws make them good climbers. Black is the most common color in Alaska, though brown or cinnamon bears are often seen in Southcentral Alaska and on the Southeast mainland. A rare blue-gray color phase, known as the glacier bear, occurs around Yakutat and in parts of Southeast Alaska.
Where to see bears:
- Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park: brown bears catch salmon at the falls in July, and gather near the mouth of the Brooks River in September.
- Pack Creek, Admiralty Island: a permit-managed viewing area where brown bears fish in summer. It’s reached by floatplane from Juneau. Admiralty Island has an estimated 1,600 brown bears.
- Anan Wildlife Observatory, near Wrangell: one of the few places where black and brown bears feed in the same creek. They come for a large pink salmon run from early July to late August.
- Kodiak Island: remote lodges offer bear viewing in summer.
Always follow the distance rules for the area you’re visiting. In Denali, for example, visitors must stay at least 300 yards from bears.
Moose
Moose live in most of Alaska, apart from the far north. They are the largest members of the deer family, and bulls in Alaska can weigh up to 1,600 pounds. Their size and broad, palmate antlers make them easy to recognize.
Moose often wander into towns and along highways and rail lines, as well as through parks and refuges. On the Kenai Peninsula, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge was first established in 1941 as the Kenai National Moose Range to protect the area’s large moose. In Denali, moose are most often seen in the first 15 miles of the park road.
Moose can be unpredictable, especially cows with calves in spring and bulls during the fall rut, so give them plenty of room.
Caribou, Dall Sheep, and Wolves
Together with bears and moose, these three animals make up what visitors to Denali National Park often call the “Big Five.” Denali’s single park road, traveled by park buses and tours, offers the best chance to see all five in one trip.
Caribou prefer the open tundra. In Denali, they’re often seen along the park road, sometimes in large groups.
Dall sheep live on steep, rocky slopes where they can escape predators, so look up when scanning for them. Concern for Dall sheep was one of the reasons Denali was first protected as a national park in 1917. In Denali, sheep are sometimes seen high in Igloo Canyon and near Polychrome Pass.
Wolves are the most elusive of the Big Five. Sightings depend largely on whether packs are denning near the road in a given year.
Grizzly bears in Denali are most often seen between Igloo Canyon (Mile 37) and Eielson (Mile 66). Buses have turned around at Mile 43 since a 2021 landslide, but full bus service along the road is expected to resume in 2027.
Whales
Several whale species feed in Alaska’s waters each summer. Sightings can never be guaranteed, but the chances are good in the right places.
Humpback whales spend the summer feeding in the Gulf of Alaska and throughout the Inside Passage, including
Glacier Bay, Prince William Sound, and the waters around the Kodiak Archipelago. In
Frederick Sound, near Petersburg, humpbacks are known for bubble-net feeding, where a group of whales rises through the water together with mouths open.
Orcas are also seen in Southeast Alaska and along the Kenai Peninsula, though sightings vary from day to day. Smaller beluga whales live in Cook Inlet near Anchorage, and bowhead whales feed in Arctic waters in the far north.
Whales are present from about May through September, and June through August is usually the best time to look.
Other Marine Mammals
Sea otters are a favorite for their playful behavior. Look for them floating on their backs in kelp beds and calm coastal waters, including Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords, and Glacier Bay.
Steller sea lions haul out on rocky islands, such as South Marble Island in Glacier Bay, and harbor seals often rest on floating ice in glacial fjords.
In the Bering and Chukchi seas, Pacific walrus haul out on sea ice and coastal beaches. Adult males can weigh up to 2 tons, and both males and females grow tusks, which they use in fighting and to pull themselves out of the water. Each summer, thousands of male walruses gather on Round Island in northern Bristol Bay, which is protected as part of the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary. Visits there are limited and permit-based.
Birds
Hundreds of bird species nest in or pass through Alaska, along its coasts, wetlands, mountains, and tundra. Spring and early summer are busy months, when songbirds and shorebirds arrive to nest.
Bald eagles are common along coasts and salmon streams. Near Haines, the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is home to a few hundred eagles year-round, and thousands gather there from mid-October through December. Golden eagles hunt for small mammals inland, including in Denali. Puffins nest on coastal cliffs in Kenai Fjords and on islands such as South Marble Island in Glacier Bay.
Loons, owls, and swans are also seen across the state. Alaska’s state bird, the willow ptarmigan, turns white in winter and brown in summer.
Where and When to See Alaskan Wildlife
National Parks
Alaska’s national parks are some of the best places to see wildlife in its natural setting. In Denali, summer is the time for grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, and wolves, roughly from late May to early September. In Kenai Fjords, day cruises from Seward from late spring through summer offer chances to see whales, sea lions, puffins, and sometimes orcas. In Glacier Bay, ships pass sea lion and seabird colonies, and mountain goats are often seen on the cliffs. Our guide to
things to do in Glacier Bay covers what to look for.
Wilderness Lodges
Staying at a remote
wilderness lodge gives you a quieter, closer wildlife experience. Many lodges sit near rivers, coastlines, or forests where bears, bald eagles, and moose are common. Summer is good for most animals, and late summer and early fall, when bears are feeding heavily on salmon before winter, are especially good for bear viewing.
Coastal Areas and Rivers
Alaska’s coastlines and rivers are where much of the wildlife activity happens. Salmon runs from about July to September draw bears and eagles to rivers and streams, and whale watching is best from about June through August. On an
Alaska small-ship cruise, you’ll spend much of each day on the water, watching for whales, sea otters, and bears along the shore. For combining land and marine wildlife on one trip, summer is the best fit.
For more ideas on where to go, see our guide to the
best places to visit in Alaska. For timing, see the
best time to take an Alaskan cruise.
Tips for Wildlife Viewing in Alaska
A little planning and a few simple rules make wildlife viewing safer and more rewarding. Guided trips are a good choice, especially on a first visit, since local guides know where animals are likely to be and how to keep everyone at a safe distance. Our
Alaska wildlife trips include guided time in prime viewing areas.
- Join guided tours for safety and local knowledge.
- Bring binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens so you can see animals clearly without getting close.
- Never feed wildlife, and follow posted rules.
- Keep your distance. Rules vary by area. In Denali, stay at least 300 yards (275 meters) from bears and 25 yards (23 meters) from other animals. Elsewhere, follow park, refuge, or guide instructions.
- Check seasonal updates on park and refuge websites or at visitor centers before you go.
- When in doubt, stay farther back and ask a ranger or your guide.
