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Page 5 of Alaska Wildlife |
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| There are 31 caribou herds recognized in Alaska, with 7 large migratory populations numbering 30,000 to 206,000 animals. If you are wanting to see thousands of caribou grazing on the open tundra you normally need to charter a plane for a trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. |
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| The Mountain Goat is a unique species found only in North America that is usually seen on rocky slopes or perched on seemingly inaccessible ledges that provide protection from predators. Surefooted and wary, it's a treat for passing motorists when one or more goats shows up on the side of a highway to graze. |
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| Dall Sheep
can be seen from various roadways throughout Alaska. The way these sheep keep safe is to stay up high in the mountains and along cliff sides to avoid predators. That means, to the naked eye, they can just appear to be white dots.
Just south of Anchorage, along the Seward Highway and Turnagain Arm there is a world-famous viewing location for Dall Sheep, known as Windy Point. These rocky cliffs are a popular hangout for the sheep, and sometimes they’ll even come directly down to the roadway to lick the salt. In the spring, you can watch the young ones learning how to navigate those rocky cliff sides, or view the magnificent rams whose horns can reach a full curl or more. |
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The Pacific Walrus is a large pinniped that lives in the Bering and Chukchi seas near Russia and northern Alaska. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are an estimated 55,000 to 507,000 walruses in this region. Very few visitors actually visit walrus haulouts because they’re not easily accessed.
Walruses, which can get up to 12 feet long and weigh up to two tons, have hundreds of highly sensitive whiskers that they use to search the seafloor for food, resting on sheets of ice between foraging trips.
While the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary can only be accessed by permit, viewers can watch a live feed 24/7 on the sanctuary’s webcam. This cam overlooks Main Beach on the northern tip of Alaska's Round Island, and it's the perfect spot to watch Pacific walruses come ashore to "haul out".
A haul-out is a place on land where walruses gather between feeds. This long, concave beach on Round Island is particularly well-suited as a haul-out--as many as 14,000 walruses come here in a single day!
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| Alaska is a birder's paradise thanks to its diversity of habitats, location on migratory routes, and boundless wild lands. From the Arctic pack ice to the rainforests of Southeast to the windswept Aleutian Islands, nearly 500 bird species populate or pass through the Great Land seeking breeding, overwintering, resting, and refueling sites. Pictured above is a long-tailed Jaeger soaring at the gates of Arctic National Park, Alaska. |
| Top 10 Birding Hotspots in Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game |
| Bird Viewing in Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game |
| Birding in Alaska | Audubon Alaska |
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This Is The Last Page of Alaska Wildlife Information |
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