Kenai Fjords National Park

🇺🇸 United States

🐋 Humpback Whales Feeding Spectacularly

🌍 #76 Global · 4.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #3 in North America #1 in Tundra

United States, United States 334 spp. recorded

Kenai Fjords National Park sits along the rugged southern coast of Alaska, where massive glacial ice fields meet the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. This coastal park features steep rock cliffs, forested mountain slopes, and deep marine fjords carved by ancient ice. Visitors hike through dense coastal forests and across rocky shorelines to explore the dramatic edge where land and sea collide.

60.006° N 149.886° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris

80–90% · Very likely

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

80–90% · Very likely

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

80–90% · Very likely

Northern Sea Lion

Eumetopias jubatus

80–90% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Harbor Seal

Phoca vitulina

80–90% · Very likely

Horned Puffin

Fratercula corniculata

70–80% · Very likely

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

70–80% · Very likely

Common Murre

Uria aalge

70–80% · Very likely

Tufted Puffin

Fratercula cirrhata

70–80% · Very likely

Pelagic Cormorant

Phalacrocorax pelagicus

70–80% · Very likely

Glaucous-winged Gull

Larus glaucescens

70–80% · Very likely

Rhinoceros Auklet

Cerorhinca monocerata

60–70% · Likely

Pigeon Guillemot

Cepphus columba

60–70% · Likely

Marbled Murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus

60–70% · Likely

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

50–60% · Likely

Kittlitz's Murrelet

Brachyramphus brevirostris

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris

80–90% · Very likely

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

80–90% · Very likely

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

80–90% · Very likely

Northern Sea Lion

Eumetopias jubatus

80–90% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Harbor Seal

Phoca vitulina

80–90% · Very likely

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

40–50% · Likely

Dall's Porpoise

Phocoenoides dalli

40–50% · Likely

Mountain Goat

Oreamnos americanus

40–50% · Likely

Elk

Alces alces

40–50% · Likely

Hoary Marmot

Marmota caligata

40–50% · Likely

Brown Bear

Ursus arctos

30–40% · Possible

Northern River Otter

Lontra canadensis

Insufficient data

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

20–30% · Possible

Northern Red-backed Vole

Myodes rutilus

20–30% · Possible

Snowshoe Hare

Lepus americanus

Insufficient data

Quiller

Erethizon dorsatus

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Horned Puffin

Fratercula corniculata

70–80% · Very likely

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

70–80% · Very likely

Common Murre

Uria aalge

70–80% · Very likely

Tufted Puffin

Fratercula cirrhata

70–80% · Very likely

Pelagic Cormorant

Phalacrocorax pelagicus

70–80% · Very likely

Glaucous-winged Gull

Larus glaucescens

70–80% · Very likely

Rhinoceros Auklet

Cerorhinca monocerata

60–70% · Likely

Pigeon Guillemot

Cepphus columba

60–70% · Likely

Marbled Murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus

60–70% · Likely

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

50–60% · Likely

Kittlitz's Murrelet

Brachyramphus brevirostris

50–60% · Likely

Double-crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

📊 Most Spotted

Animal Events

🦌

Summer Humpback Feeding

JunJul

Humpback whales migrate into the nutrient-rich fjords to feed extensively on schooling fish and krill.

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

80–90% · Very likely

🦌

Orca Pod Patrol

Jun

Resident and transient killer whale pods frequent the coastal fjords in search of marine mammals and salmon.

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

80–90% · Very likely

🦌

Coastal Bear Foraging

MayAug

Black bears emerge and forage along the shorelines and lower elevations for early vegetation and spawning salmon.

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

40–50% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

30–40

70–80

80–90

80–90

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

Northern Sea Lion

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

40–50

80–90

60–70

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

Black-legged Kittiwake

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

40–50

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

40–50

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

40–50

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

Pelagic Cormorant

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

Glaucous-winged Gull

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

40–50

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

Rhinoceros Auklet

60–70

60–70

40–50

60–70

20–30

70–80

60–70

50–60

20–30

60–70

60–70

60–70

Pigeon Guillemot

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

40–50

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

Marbled Murrelet

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

30–40

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

60–70

50–60

50–60

70–80

50–60

50–60

50–60

Kittlitz's Murrelet

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

70–80

50–60

40–50

20–30

50–60

50–60

50–60

Animal Events

🦌 Summer Humpback Feeding

🦌 Orca Pod Patrol

🦌 Coastal Bear Foraging

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Excellent

🐋 Humpback Whales Feeding Spectacularly

🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

252

🐒 Mammals

79

🦎 Reptiles

2

🐸 Amphibians

1

334 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

24 Threatened 36 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

76%

📊

Coverage (83 species at ≥5% of 334 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

25%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 5 mammal)

47% Global avg

65%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

62

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

22

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

26

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