Puffins,Salmon and Bears

[Diggerdon]

We are already thinking about Alaska in 2010 and need to know where and when to see puffins. Also when is the best time to see bears and salmon running. I hope that this can all be done on the same cruise. Thanks

[Jana White]

Seward is a great place to see puffins. The Kenai Fjords wildlife cruises visit the nesting areas and the Sealife Center in Seward lets you get very close. I do not know for sure, but would suspect the puffins begin to head out to see mid to late August.

[Budget Queen]

Puffins are usually scarce on Kenai Fjords boat trips second week of Sept. SO plan your visit well before then, if a priority. The other area, is Sitka, with a private boat operator who can go to St. Lazaria Island, where they are gone by mid Sept. These are the two main areas to see them. But I've also seen them out of Homer, and Valdez, again on boat trips.

 

As for bears eating salmon- brown's or blacks, any preference??? Blacks are seen, out of Ketchikan on fly in bear tours, with high rated of success, from begining of July, though mid Sept., usually. :)

 

For brown fly in tours, Pack Creek out of Juneau, and out of Homer are top spots to consider. Look at sighing tends carefully with various vendors.

[Diggerdon]

Which cruise line or lines go to Sitka and or Seward? Thanks for all the help.

[ILoveScotland]

Puffins are usually scarce on Kenai Fjords boat trips second week of Sept. SO plan your visit well before then, if a priority.

 

We arrive in Seward in two weeks. Are you saying the puffins may be gone by then?

[RYPERO]

As far as the time of year to See Bears and Salmon I would think that the end of July through most of August since the Salmon run starts the end of July and goes through August. Since Bears eat Salmon this makes it a great time to see them as well. As for Puffins, we saw them from the ship as we were cruising out of Sitka last week.

[Budget Queen]

We arrive in Seward in two weeks. Are you saying the puffins may be gone by then?

 

That's what I said.

 

Out of Seward, they are leaving, with sighings less, during the first week, and most often completely gone second week of Sept.

 

Inside passage out of Sitka, is about a week later.

 

This is GENERAL trends, over many years I have been going there.

[ILoveScotland]

Thanks. We don't go to Sitka but from Ketchikan to Juneau to Skagway and on across to Seward.

 

I've seen puffins in the Hebrides twice, and they are such wonderful little birds I was hoping my husband would get a chance to see them in the wild. For now he'll have to settle for seeing them at the Sea Life Center in Seward.

[Choozin Croozin]

Which cruise line or lines go to Sitka and or Seward? Thanks for all the help.

 

Carnival Spirit goes to Sitka and Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas goes to Seward. There are probably others, but these are the ones I know of. I'm with you on the Puffins, though it appears now that I may be too late in Seward for them. :(:(

[whale-watcher]

Keep your eyes open (and your binoculars ready) whenever you are far out at sea (such as crossing the gulf of Alaska, or on your first sea day northbound)...we saw small feeding groups of puffins off and on both of these days (quick and distant looks, nothing like what we had near Valdez, Sitka, and Seward, but better than not seeing them at all).

 

The seabird exhibit in the Sea Life Center is wonderful, however.

[Choozin Croozin]

Thanks whale watcher. I appreciate the tip. I so wanted to see the Puffins. When I changed cruise lines we had to go a little later than I originally planned. We are planning on the Sea Life Center, but there is just something about seeing them in their natural habitat .:rolleyes: