Cruising for Alaskan Wildlife
Cruising for Alaskan Wildlife
Taking a Princess Cruise to Alaska is a wildlife experience that will thrill anyone who enjoys seeing animals in their own habitat. The amazing ecology of Alaska offers a wide range of habitats for animals to flourish in, and there is a diverse and abundant range of creatures that live here from mammals and birds to marine life.
The costal regions of Alaska are where most of these amazing creatures can be seen, which makes cruising the coastline here a great way to see the animal life and there are many photo opportunities to be had along the way.
Somewhere in the region of 110 different species of animals make their home in Alaska, including three different types of bears. Black bears, brown bears and polar bears can all be seen here although it’s the brown bears which are the most commonly sighted from cruises as they range along most of the coasts here. Black bears do tend to stick mostly to the interior of the country, but can be seen in some bay areas, and if you’re cruising in the North then you have a good chance of spotting a polar bear on the shore.
As well as bears, you may expect to see a range of animals including moose, caribou and sheep. Predators are harder to spot, but include lynx, wolves, foxes and even wolverines, and if you don’t see them then you’ll surely hear them as the chilling and slightly wistful sound of a wolf hound can be heard beautifully clearly across the still waters around the coast.
Alaska is home to 445 species of birds officially, and there are others which are seen here quite frequently even though they aren’t on the official list as being natives of Alaska. One of the most famous birds which you may see is the Bald Eagle which can be found quite commonly along the coasts here. Others you may see include puffins, loons, swans, sea ducks and ptamigans.
Look down into the waters here and you’ll encounter a whole other range of creatures. There are a number of different whales which can be seen here including the humpback, beluga, grey and of course the killer whale. Sea lions, otters, seals, porpoises and walruses all get caught on camera by visitors here quite frequently, and one of the most frequently seen is the dall porpoise which is sometimes mistaken for a killer whale because of its black and white colouring. Porpoises are quite a bit smaller however and often swim along beside boats in the coastal regions. If you’re looking to see seals, then June and August are considered to be the prime viewing times when they can often be seen sunning themselves on icebergs.
This is a wild and wonderful land to visit, and cruising the coastline offers a chance to see many of these creatures much more easily than can be done from land, and all from the safety of your cruise ship too. So if you’re looking for some really spectacular holiday snaps to show your friends, this could be just what you’re looking for.
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