Wildlife Guide

The round knob on belugas’ faces is called a “melon,” and it appears to have some role in their vocalizations. More Details

Black bears are the smallest of Alaska’s three bear species (the other two are grizzlies and polar bears) and have a pointier snout than grizzlies. More Details

Brown bears on Kodiak Island are classified as a distinct subspecies from those on the mainland because they are genetically and physically isolated. More Details

Caribou are a member of the deer family and look a lot like their close relatives, the reindeer. More Details

Dall sheep are characterized by their curled horns, but if you look closely at their horns, you can also tell how old they are. More Details

The United States’ national symbol, the bald eagle, is by far the most plentiful in Alaska, perhaps because of the abundance of their main food source, fish, in the state. More Details

Eastern gray whales are the first migrating cetaceans to reach Alaska each spring. Swimming slowly from their winter breeding grounds in Mexico’s Baja California, these amazing animals have one of the longest round-trip migrations of any mammal on earth – up to 12,000 miles round trip! More Details

Salmon may be best known, but halibut are equally interesting. They are one of the ugliest fishes in the ocean, and spend their lives flattened deep against the ocean bottom. More Details

Harbor seals are also known as “hair seals” by some locals, and they are what brought the first white settlers to Alaska in the 1700s. More Details

Humpback whales are a common sight in the summer in Alaska. More Details

Loons are known as “spirits of the wilderness,” and it is fitting that Alaska has all five species of loons found in the world. More Details

Moose are among the most popular photographic subjects in Alaska, and many people are surprised at how large they are. More Details

Muskoxen are prehistoric-looking animals with long coats that skim the ground and horns that curl toward their faces. More Details

Orcas, or killer whales, are black and white whales that, from a distance, look a little like dolphins or porpoises. More Details

Many people think that grizzlies are the world’s largest carnivore, but that title actually goes to the polar bear. More Details

Puffins are one of the most distinctive sea birds in coastal Alaska. More Details

It’s hard to enumerate all the wonderful characteristics of Alaska’s most ubiquitous fish. More Details

In many ways, the sea otter is responsible for the modern history of Alaska. More Details

The Steller (or northern) sea lion is an impressive animal. Males reach their full size at around age eight, and at that point, can weigh nearly 1,300 pounds. More Details

In shape, the walrus looks a lot like his pinniped relatives, the seal and sea lion, but two major characteristics set the walrus apart More Details

Anyone who has ever owned a dog has heard from trainers and other authorities how much dogs resemble their genetic forebears, the wolf. More Details