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 Animals
in Alaska pages!
Return to main Alaska page
We have collected a more complete profile of some of the animals we
have encountered while traveling in Alaska on our sailboat Mad Dog
Voyager. We plan to add more information and other related data when
available.
The Mad Dogs
Exploring to inspire...
TM
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Read more about:
Grizzly Bear or
Alaskan Brown bear
The Grizzly Bear (or Alaskan Brown Bear) symbolizes mountain
wilderness.
Standing up to 9 ft (270 cm) tall and weighing as much as 1,000
lbs (450 kg), the Grizzly Bear is a magnificent animal to see.
Preferring flat valleys and food rich shorelines, Grizzly Bear
numbers in Glacier Bay are quite impressive. In the short 250
years since Glacier Bay was covered beneath 4,000 ft (1,200 m)
of glacial ice and snow, Grizzly Bear territory has expanded and
they can be found in many areas of Glacier Bay National Park.
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Read more about: Steller Sea Lions
Proudly showing off, this Steller Sea Lion enjoys basking in the
sun on a warm afternoon.
Even with a large Steller Sea Lion weighing over 2,000 lbs (900
kg), their powerful front and rear flippers are used to haul
themselves out of the water and clamber up rocky shores to bask
in the sun. Although noted for their curiosity and playfulness,
Steller Sea Lions are truly at home in the water. This
incredible agility is seen as they turn, roll, spin, tumble and
even leap clear out of the water while swimming and playing
together.
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Read more about: Wolves
The sight of a rarely seen Gray Wolf in its natural, wild
setting is an awe-inspiring event.
Usually colored a grizzled gray, their coloration can range from
white to black. Gray Wolves generally live in packs of 4 – 7
animals, consisting of family members, however some wolves live
a more solitary life. Wolves communicate by barks, yelps, and
howls. While early evening stillness is often broken by the
howling of a lone wolf, the chorus is very quickly picked up
other wolves within earshot and will often die down after a few
minutes.
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Read more about: Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle, majestically soaring overhead, riding invisible
air currents, is an incredible sight to behold.
As if floating in mid-air several hundred feet above the water,
a Bald Eagle’s powerful eyesight searches for surface feeding
fish. In a sudden exhibition of the fantastic aerial acrobatic
skill possessed by the Bald Eagle, it executes a side-slip
maneuver and dives. Without slowing or hesitating, the Bald
Eagle swoops down, extends its sharp talons, reaching just below
the surface of the water and grabs the fish.
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Read more about: Orca / Killer Whale
Orcas, or Killer Whales, are highly intelligent and very curious
mammals.
Orcas are the most widely distributed of any marine mammal on
Earth, being found in all oceans from cold polar seas to
tropical waters. Orcas live in a very organized family unit
called a pod that includes several generations. Unusually
curious about the visitors in their waters, they may approach
boats in order to get a better look at the human visitors. Their
acrobatic skills are seen as they spy-hop, tail-slap or breach
the water as this juvenile Orca is doing.
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Read more about: Mountain Goats
High in the alpine forest, Mountain Goats majestically sport
glimmering white fur coats.
The hollow hairs of the Mountain Goat act like insulation and
keep them warm during the cold winter. As the suns rays reflect
on these hollow hairs, they appear to glimmer and shine.
Mountain Goats were one of the first animals to return to
Glacier Bay once the ice of the Little Ice Age began retreating
250 years ago. Incredibly nimble-footed, Mountain Goats hooves
have a hard outer rim and a soft center, providing excellent
traction on even the narrowest of ledges and rocky outcroppings.
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Read more about: Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales are one of the most sought after sights in
Alaska.
Spending the winter in either Hawaii or Mexico, Humpback Whales
migrate thousands of miles to spend the summer feeding in
nutrient rich waters such as Glacier Bay. While they measure up
to 62 ft (19 m) in length and can weigh over 53 tons (48,000
kg), Humpback Whales are generally very gentle and docile
mammals. There are many feeding techniques used by Humpbacks;
these Humpbacks are bubble-feeding on a school of herring or
sand lance.
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Read more about: Tufted Puffins
The Tufted Puffin is a delight to see.
Sporting a large, brightly colored orange beak and with its head
feathers in the “slicked and combed-back” style, the Tufted
Puffin appears to have leapt forth from a painters’ canvas.
Spending the winter hundreds of miles offshore, they return to
the coast in the spring. Building burrow nests in the tall
grasses on rocky shores and islands, they prepare to lay and
hatch another generation of Puffins.
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Read more about:
Red Squirrel
Like a flash, the happy-go-lucky Red Squirrel zips along the
forest floor and bounds up an evergreen tree in apparent
defiance of the laws of gravity.
Appearing to be bundles of unlimited energy, Red Squirrels spend
the summer collecting green spruce cones and stashing them away
for winter. A Red Squirrels hangout can be seen by the unusually
huge pile of cones and scales piled up under branches of
evergreen trees. If you intrude upon a Red Squirrels’ territory,
you are sure to get an earful of their persistent chattering.
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The following items will be
added when we have the text ready: |
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Black Bear, Sea
Otters, Dall's Porpoises, Oyster Catcher, Moose,
Black Tailed deer, Grouse, Heron and more |
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