Making an Alaskan Wildlife checklist - need help please

I was thinking about making a WildLife checklist/scavenger hunt for our upcoming cruise to Alaska for my kids. What type of animals will we be seeing in mid June in Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Glacier Bay? *Some that I can think of are : Bald Eagles, Puffins, Humpback Whales, Orca Whales, Porpoises, Harbor Seals, Sea Lions, Otters, Mountain Goats, Black Tailed Deer. *What types of birds are in Alaska? *Any other interesting things that could go on a scavenger hunt list?

What a great idea!! I'm gonna steal this for my teens :)

The Alaska Fish and Game web site has check lists and info:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.checklists

and what kid doesn't want to look for bear scat ? aerospace posted a photo of it in his trip report. Watch for it along the trails at Mendenhall ( and look in the trees for black bears!)

p.s. the national parks have Jr Ranger kits for kids. I've seen them at Denali and Kenai Fjords cruises.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think puffins should be on your list, given your route.

Kittiwakes are one species of birds in Glacier Bay. We've actually seen a hummingbird in Glacier Bay but I don't think that is at all common.

Ravens. Add ravens. That is a "gimme" :)

And dolphins.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think puffins should be on your list, given your route.

 

Kittiwakes are one species of birds in Glacier Bay. We've actually seen a hummingbird in Glacier Bay but I don't think that is at all common.

 

Ravens. Add ravens. That is a "gimme" :)

 

And dolphins.

We saw puffins in Glacier Bay. We did the same itinerary in July 2010 and we also saw a bear from the ship the morning we entered Glacier Bay....but you really needed binoculars to see it.

You might add light houses, Alaska Marine Highway ferry , sea planes, glacier caving, ice burgs, whale spouts to the list. We had an Alaska sea gull land right on the rail of our balcony while in Glacier Bay.

As you pull into port in Ketchikan you can see a Safeway store...LOL! If you want to add things you will see on land you can put totem poles, trains & bears.

Utahtea

I was thinking about making a WildLife checklist/scavenger hunt for our upcoming cruise to Alaska for my kids. What type of animals will we be seeing in mid June in Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Glacier Bay? *Some that I can think of are : Bald Eagles, Puffins, Humpback Whales, Orca Whales, Porpoises, Harbor Seals, Sea Lions, Otters, Mountain Goats, Black Tailed Deer. *What types of birds are in Alaska? *Any other interesting things that could go on a scavenger hunt list?

Awesome idea, I'm stealing it.

Thank You!

Laura

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The Alaska Fish and Game web site has check lists and info:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.checklists

 

and what kid doesn't want to look for bear scat ? aerospace posted a photo of it in his trip report. Watch for it along the trails at Mendenhall ( and look in the trees for black bears!)

 

p.s. the national parks have Jr Ranger kits for kids. I've seen them at Denali and Kenai Fjords cruises.

Thanks for the link !

Laura

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My husband saw a porcupine at Mendenhall last year, but I missed it.

Definitely add bears, possibly dolphins, also. We took a six hour Yukon bus tour in Skagway this past week and saw four bears on the side of the Klondike highway. Also, during our day cruising the inside passage, we saw Dall's porpoises. Not sure if you're doing a round trip or one-way? But on our one-way we took a train from Seward to Anchorage and saw two moose.

kushtaka' s. (koosh' tuh caw)

I've experienced them but never actually seen them. They will foul your anchor, steal your shrimp/crab pots, throw spruce cones at your tent all night long, and prevent your outboard from starting. the little bastids.

kushtaka' s. (koosh' tuh caw)

 

I've experienced them but never actually seen them. They will foul your anchor, steal your shrimp/crab pots, throw spruce cones at your tent all night long, and prevent your outboard from starting. the little bastids.

That's a brilliant way to encourage unique learning. They'll either have to search the ship library or talk to locals to learn about them...and then it's like a snipe hunt whenever you're out and about. That's the sort of thing that makes real family memories!

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think puffins should be on your list, given your route.

 

Kittiwakes are one species of birds in Glacier Bay. We've actually seen a hummingbird in Glacier Bay but I don't think that is at all common.

 

Ravens. Add ravens. That is a "gimme" :)

 

And dolphins.

We saw puffins last week on the Golden itinerary.

Puffins can be seen in Glacier Bay, but are difficult to spot for most people. Especially from a cruise ship. A good pair of binoculars are necessary, and being low on the water- with the open side/wrap decks superior over the upper decks on a cruise ship.

Be certain everyone has binoculars- wide angle for marine wildlife.

I always spot a lot of wildlife, but it isn't common or easy.

Glacier Bay is a jackpot, I will continue to state- it is absolutely necessary to be out VERY early IF you want to take full advantage. Essential if you are coming from Juneau or Skagway. You are well pass a lot of wildlife if you wait until the posted times. I was out at 3:30am and the spotting was nonstop. What people don't realize is the ship is stalling for hours, awaiting entrance to Glacier Bay at 6am. So, there is nothing but extended viewing opportunities. I saw at least a dozen humpbacks, with the ship drifting, I could easily hear the exhalations which helped with the spotting since I couldn't keep track of them all. Sea otters calmed down and were staying on the surface closer to the ship- this is the easiest wildlife to see, since it remains on the surface. BUT they are extremely skittish with moving ships. I prefer the lowest open side decks. I go side to side. My priority is to be as close as possible to the water.

Stealing this idea. Thanks!

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The mosquito is often called the Alaska state bird, but with any luck you won't see it while cruising.;)

Perhaps I missed it, but I don't think anyone said magpies.

We saw a moose in Glacier Bay a couple of weeks ago. People without good binoculars thought it was a bear. A moose would be a rare sighting, though, I think. We saw salmon jumping, but you'd just have to put it down as "fish jumping in the ocean" since IDing them would be next to impossible.