Look up toward the ridges in Denali, along the salmon river in Katmai, and out to sea in Kenai Fjords. The setting gives you a first clue to what you might see. Here’s how to recognize the animals and watch them from…
Items 12 The creator’s order
1 Humpback whale On the water out of Seward, scan the open stretches between headlands for a spout. A humpback may then arch into a dive and lift its broad tail clear of the water. Summer brings feeding whales to this coast. Watch from a distance and give the same patch of water time to show you another breath. 0 2 Orca On the waters of Kenai Fjords, look for a dark dorsal fin with a gray saddle patch behind it. A second or third fin surfacing along the same course can help you see how the group is moving. The park describes both fish-eating and mammal-eating orcas. Give either group space and watch without… 0 3 Brown bear At Brooks Camp in Katmai, use the park’s viewing areas. July is a good time to watch bears fish at Brooks Falls. In September, they often gather lower down near the river mouth. Look for a shoulder hump and long front claws through binoculars, and follow park instructions if a bear turns up away… 0 4 Moose In Denali, check wet ground and stands of willow for a long-legged animal browsing at the edges. A moose can disappear into brush even with much of its body above the stems. An adult bull’s broad antlers are a good clue later in the year. Stay well back and give a feeding moose an open route. 0 5 Dall sheep Scan rocky slopes and ridges above the Denali Park Road. A Dall sheep can look like a white spot against a bare mountainside until it moves. Mature rams have a conspicuous curl to their horns. Binoculars or a spotting scope let you look for that shape from the road corridor. 0 6 Reindeer In Denali’s open country, look for wild caribou moving between feeding areas. Broad hooves and a pale neck can help once you have them in view. Both sexes can grow antlers, so an antlered animal may be a male or a female. Caribou is the North American name for these relatives of Eurasian reindeer. 0 7 Sea otter Check protected water near shore in Kenai Fjords for an otter lying on its back. The head and front paws can stand out while the rest of the body sits low in the water. Watching quietly from a distance gives you a better chance to see whether it is grooming, feeding, or resting. 0 8 Horned puffin Scan the water below the seabird cliffs in Kenai Fjords. A breeding Horned Puffin has a white face and a dark, pointed projection above each eye. Its compact shape can resemble a Tufted Puffin from far off. Wait until the bird turns and you can see its face. 0 9 Tufted puffin On the same stretch of rocky coast, look for a puffin with long yellow tufts sweeping back from its white face in breeding plumage. In flight both Kenai puffins beat their wings rapidly. The head and body pattern will help more than the wingbeats if you see both together. 0 10 Steller sea lion Look across the water toward rocky haul-outs in Kenai Fjords for large, tan to brown animals. A Steller sea lion has visible ear flaps and holds itself up on long front flippers. It can look quite different from a harbor seal lying flat nearby. Use binoculars from a distance. 0 
Humpback whaleOn the water out of Seward, scan the open stretches between headlands for a spout. A humpback may then arch into a dive and lift its broad tail clear of the water. Summer brings feeding whales to this coast. Watch from a distance and give the same patch of water time to show you another breath.0
OrcaOn the waters of Kenai Fjords, look for a dark dorsal fin with a gray saddle patch behind it. A second or third fin surfacing along the same course can help you see how the group is moving. The park describes both fish-eating and mammal-eating orcas. Give either group space and watch without…0
Brown bearAt Brooks Camp in Katmai, use the park’s viewing areas. July is a good time to watch bears fish at Brooks Falls. In September, they often gather lower down near the river mouth. Look for a shoulder hump and long front claws through binoculars, and follow park instructions if a bear turns up away…0
MooseIn Denali, check wet ground and stands of willow for a long-legged animal browsing at the edges. A moose can disappear into brush even with much of its body above the stems. An adult bull’s broad antlers are a good clue later in the year. Stay well back and give a feeding moose an open route.0
Dall sheepScan rocky slopes and ridges above the Denali Park Road. A Dall sheep can look like a white spot against a bare mountainside until it moves. Mature rams have a conspicuous curl to their horns. Binoculars or a spotting scope let you look for that shape from the road corridor.0
ReindeerIn Denali’s open country, look for wild caribou moving between feeding areas. Broad hooves and a pale neck can help once you have them in view. Both sexes can grow antlers, so an antlered animal may be a male or a female. Caribou is the North American name for these relatives of Eurasian reindeer.0
Sea otterCheck protected water near shore in Kenai Fjords for an otter lying on its back. The head and front paws can stand out while the rest of the body sits low in the water. Watching quietly from a distance gives you a better chance to see whether it is grooming, feeding, or resting.0
Horned puffinScan the water below the seabird cliffs in Kenai Fjords. A breeding Horned Puffin has a white face and a dark, pointed projection above each eye. Its compact shape can resemble a Tufted Puffin from far off. Wait until the bird turns and you can see its face.0
Tufted puffinOn the same stretch of rocky coast, look for a puffin with long yellow tufts sweeping back from its white face in breeding plumage. In flight both Kenai puffins beat their wings rapidly. The head and body pattern will help more than the wingbeats if you see both together.0
Steller sea lionLook across the water toward rocky haul-outs in Kenai Fjords for large, tan to brown animals. A Steller sea lion has visible ear flaps and holds itself up on long front flippers. It can look quite different from a harbor seal lying flat nearby. Use binoculars from a distance.0