Page 4 of Alaska Wildlife

Alaska has an estimated 200,000 moose. The moose is the world’s largest member of the deer family. The Alaska moose race is the largest of all the moose. Moose can grow to 1,350 pounds with antlers spanning up to 6 feet wide. In some ways, moose are pervasive in Alaska, even in a big city like Anchorage. Come winter, the moose population in Anchorage explodes, as the animals head to lower levels to find food.

Moose occur in suitable habitat from the Stikine River in the Panhandle to the Colville River on the Arctic Slope. Moose are most abundant in recently burned areas that contain willow and birch shrubs, on timberline plateaus, and along the major rivers of southcentral and interior Alaska.

Moose are long-legged and heavy bodied with a drooping nose, a “bell” or dewlap under the chin, and a small tail. Their color ranges from golden brown to almost black, depending upon the season and the age of the animal.

Moose occasionally produce trophy-size antlers when they are 6 or 7 years old, with the largest antlers grown at approximately 10 to 12 years of age. In the wild, moose rarely live more than 16 years.

In the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, salmon are keystone species, supporting wildlife such as birds, bears and otters. The bodies of salmon represent a transfer of nutrients from the ocean, rich in nitrogen, sulfur, carbon and phosphorus, to the forest ecosystem .

All of Alaska's salmon begin their life as a fertilized egg in freshwater. Depending on the species and water temperature, the eggs incubate for a given length of time in the safety of the gravel in a river or lake. Each species of salmon fry will remain in freshwater for a determined length of time.

Some, like sockeye and silver salmon, will stay in freshwater for a year or two. Others, like pink and chum salmon migrate to sea soon after emergence. King (or Chinook) fry typically remain in freshwater for approximately a year.

Adult salmon will remain in the ocean feeding for a given length of time depending on the species. Kings can stay in saltwater for up to 6 years, while pink salmon are on a two-year cycle, meaning they return to spawn in freshwater as two-year-old fish.

Upon returning to freshwater from the sea, salmon undergo significant physical changes. Some, like sockeye, kings and silvers develop a deep maroon or red coloration. In Southeast Alaska, spawning king salmon are more of a dark brown or blackish color. Chum salmon develop calico bands along each side of their body. Males of each species develop large, hooked jaws, called “kypes.” In addition to developing a kype, male pink and sockeye salmon develop pronounced humps on their back. Consequently, pink salmon are often referred to as “humpys.”

Watching a salmon run is easy, exciting and robustly colorful: The best rivers for viewing these salmon are shallow and clear, so the water appears thick with the fishes’ bright red bodies. The largest salmon ever caught was at the Kenai River. It weighed in at 97.5 pounds.
 
Various species of whales can be seen throughout Alaska during the months of May through September. It is not uncommon for cruise passengers to see whales right from the deck of the ship. Almost every port of call will have whale watching excursions.

 
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