Wildlife

Explore the tundra, alpine meadows and coastlines and keep an eye out for the bears, moose and maybe even a whale.

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Wildlife Details

With a wide variety of ecosystems and habitats — from tundra and high alpine meadows, to ocean and coastline, to rivers and lakes — Katmai National Park hosts an impressive and internationally renowned collection of wildlife. Most famous are the brown bears. More than 2,000 brown bears are estimated to roam the park, one of the highest concentrations of the species anywhere in the world. Other large mammals including moose, dear, caribou, wolverine, river otter, snowshoe hare, minx, weasel, beaver, red squirrel, and red fox also live in the park. On the Katmai coast you'll find sea otters, porpoises and several species of seal. Further out to sea, in the Shelikof Strait are Beluga whales, gray whales, and orcas. Though the park is known largely for its large mammals, it is also one of the top locations for bird watching in North America. A wide variety of nesting grounds exist from marshy coastline and forests, tundras, lakes and rivers of the inland. Inland, in the forests and tundras, you'll find thrushers, sparrows, and warblers. Along the coast are Greater Yellowlegs, Hudsonian Godwits, Tundra Swans, and ducks. The salmon runs attract many species, including ravens, magpies, gulls, eagles, and mergansers. You also might spy a Loon in the trees along lake shores.

Difficulty

Open

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