Wildlife viewing takes on a different dimension in the winter months, as many animals are easer to see against a backdrop of white snow. Watch about 3,000 bald eagles gather to feed on salmon at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines. Moose, fox and various species of birds can be spotted during the winter. No matter which path you choose, you'll remember it for a lifetime.
Wildlife Viewing Tips
- Dawn and dusk are the best times for viewing.
- Drive to or visit likley places, especially wildlife refuges or national parks.
- Use binoculars or a telephoto lens to get a great close-up shot.
- Watch from a distance so both you and the animal are safe.
- Be Patient because even when wildlife is abundant it can take time to spot.
- Make noise when you travel in thick brush or near spawing salmon to avoid surprising moose and bears.
Alaska's wildlife.
With large caribou herds migrating across Alaska's interior, millions of salmon spawning in its rivers, and the world-famous Kodiak brown bears - visitors can't help but enjoy the diversity of Alaska's wildlife. Wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant in Alaska. Take a guided tour through a national or state park to see bear or caribou, or a day cruse to see puffins, sea otters and humpback and killer whales. Even just a leasurely walk on Alaska's extnsive trail systems may put you in a spot where you'll cross paths with moose or Dall sheep.
You can take a flightseeing trip that specializes in wildlife viewing by air, take wildlife tours by motorcoach, or participate in a guided tour that specializes in bear viewing, whale watching or bird watching. Or for a guaranteed wildlife viewing take a trip to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage, the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward, or the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage.
The History of Alaska dates back to the Upper Paleolithic Period (around 12,000 BC), when Asiatic groups crossed the Bering Land Bridge into what is now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups. The name "Alaska" derives from the Aleut word alaxsxaq, (an Archaic spelling being alyeska), meaning "mainland" (literally, "the object toward which the action of the sea is directed").[1]
In the 1890s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory brought thousands of miners and settlers to Alaska. Alaska was granted territorial status in 1912.
In 1942, three of the outer Aleutian Islands— Attu and Kiska —were occupied by the Japanese and their recovery for the U. S. became a matter of national pride. The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities.
Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959.
In 1964, the massive "Good Friday Earthquake" killed 131 people and leveled several villages.
The 1968 discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay and the 1977 completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline led to an oil boom. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez hit a reef in the Prince William Sound, spilling between 11 and 35 million US gallons (42,000 and 130,000 m³) of crude oil over 1,100 miles (1,600 km) of coastline. Today, the battle between philosophies of development and conservation is seen in the contentious debate over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
