Wildlife Spectacles Abound
Abundant, unique
and charismatic species make wildlife watching on this refuge a joy. Although
access is difficult, the birds and mammals are easy to see once you get there.
Cliffs swarming with seabirds, rafts of seaducks offshore in winter, otters, sea
lions, birds blown in from Asia, and rare and unique species are viewing highlights.
Best Places
These seven "hotspots" are the easiest
places to wildlife watch on the refuge.
Near
Homer
Near
Seward
Near Sitka
The Pribilof Islands
Adak
Island
Unalaska
Island
Near Nome
Most
Birds
More than a millions birds nest on each of these refuge islands,
St. George in the Pribilofs, Kiska, Chagulak, St. Matthew, Forrester and the Semidis.
Another island, Buldir, is also in the "millionaire" class but is closed
to the public to protect Steller sea lions. Other, more accessible, islands host
at least a quarter million nesting seabirds such as St. Lazaria near Sitka, the
Barren Islands near Homer and Egg Island near Unalaska.
Most Wanted
Look
here for the easiest access on the refuge to some of coastal Alaska's most sought
after species:
Horned puffins - The Chiswell Islands,
Barren Islands, the Pribilofs
Tufted puffins - St. Lazaria near Sitka,
and islands near Seward, Homer, Kodiak
Steller sea lion - Chiswell
Islands near Seward
Otters - Seward, Homer, Kodiak, Sitka waters
Eagles
- Homer, Seward, Adak, Unalaska, throughout the refuge
Whales - near
Seward, Barren Islands near Homer, near Sitka
Harbor seals - throughout
SE Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Aleutians
Rarer Finds
Here
is your guide on the best places to find some of the more unique species on or
near the refuge.
Birds
Whiskered auklets
- Baby Islands near Unalaska
Crested and least auklets - the Pribilof
Islands and the Semidi Islands west.
Cassin's auklets - the Semidi
Islands west.
Parakeet auklets - from Homer and Seward west.
Red-legged
kittiwakes - the Pribilof Islands
Asiatic birds - the Pribilof Islands
in May, Attu or any western Aleutian island
Marbled murrelets - waters
near Homer, Afognak and Adak
Kittlitz's murrelet - waters near Homer,
Adak and Attu
Emperor goose -In winter - Kodiak, Unalaska and Adak
Aleutian
cackling goose - Shemya, western Aleutians
McKay's bunting - St.
Matthew Island
Evermann's rock ptarmigan - Attu Island
Aleutian
song sparrow - Adak and west
Black guillemot - Cape Lisburne
Laysan,
black-footed, and short-tailed albatross - Sequam Pass
Mammals
Fur
Seals - the Pribilofs
Walrus - St. Matthew (viewing is better at
Round Island off the refuge)
Pribilof shrew - St. Paul Island
Arctic
bluephase fox - the Pribilofs
Brown bear - Unimak Island
LINKS
to learn more
Bird List
Visitor
Services
