Alaska is a wonderful destination for wildlife watchers that want to see bears and marine mammals. These two are the highlights that are offered by the country. We will break up these two so that we can find the best possible wildlife watching spots in Alaska.
Bear Watching Spots In Alaska
Seeing bears in Alaska is definitely great as there are various locations that can be considered. Keep in mind that many of the bears will be present during the region’s salmon season. This means that you may want to time your trips accordingly. The locations you want to consider are the following:
- Anan Wildlife Observatory
If fish are running, you can see so many black bears around salmon streams. You can get close to them and access to the observatory is possible from Wrangell.
- Mendenhall Glacier – Juneau
There are many female black bears present in the area. People that visit can see bears feed on fish even from parking lots. What is really important here is to be quiet, respect the animals and never feed the bears. The advice is important since there are many bears present here near the water.
- Pack Creek – Admiralty Island
On this island there are many black bears, possibly the densest population around the world. What is interesting is that the bears here basically ignore daily visitors close to Pack Creek. The bears here are related to the polar bears more than grizzlies, which is definitely quite rare. The only problem is that you only have access from Juneau by air.
- Fortress Of The Bear – Sitka
Fortress Of The Bear is an education nonprofit organization that also has a rescue center for brown bear cubs that are orphan and that are present in the area. There is a wooden platform that allows you to watch the bears in a completely natural habitat. Viewing is 100% safe and the landscape is definitely interesting.
- Katmai National Park
The best time to visit is between the months of July and September. This is when there are salmon runs and so many giant brown bears will be present in the Brooks Camp. Guests can come in from Kodiak via flight services.
Marine Mammal Viewing In Alaska
In most cases, you just need to go boating and you will see marine mammals in Alaska. This is what is offered at the moment by this country. However, we do not want to see possibilities. With this in mind, the places where we are close to being guaranteed to see marine mammal life include:
- Juneau
There is a family run operation in the area that has a 100% success rate in finding whales for around 5 years now. This includes humpback whales and sometimes even killer whales. Besides the family run operation, you also gain access to other providers so your choices will be great. Prices are quite low because of the competition.
- Icy Strait
You want to consider Bartlett Cove in the Glacier Bay National Park and Gustavus. The humpback whales here are lovely and there are orcas that sometimes appear. The location is really good with so many options for luxury accommodations available.
- Kenai Fjords National Park – Close To Seward
It is not necessary to travel deep inside this park. There is almost an assurance that you will see sea lions and sea otters at Resurrection Bay, quite close to Seward. The killer and humpback whales are normally seen during summer.
