Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
The Alaska Peninsula brown bear is among the largest land predators on Earth. They patrol the salmon streams of the refuge with a casual sovereignty.
Habitat — Salmon streams, beaches, tundraWhen — Jun – Oct
03 — Wildlife
Tundra. Tide. Patience.
A morning at Grant Point can turn into a procession of brown bears along a salmon stream, a red fox on the ridge, sea otters drifting in the kelp, an orca breaking the gray surface offshore.
A Field Catalogue
Eight species that define the refuge.
Cold Bay sits at the intersection of three migration corridors and two oceans. The list of what passes through is long and improbable. The list of what you'll see in a single trip is shorter — and unforgettable.
Pacific Brant
Branta bernicla nigricans
Tens of thousands stage in the lagoon before a single non-stop crossing to Mexico — one of the longest sustained flights in the bird world.
Habitat — Eelgrass beds of Izembek LagoonWhen — Sept – Oct (peak)
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Curious, often visible from the refuge road, sometimes from the runway fence. Their coats turn deep cinnamon as winter approaches.
Habitat — Tundra ridgelines, near townWhen — Year-round
Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris
Rafting together in the cold currents — one of the densest populations of sea otters anywhere along the North Pacific arc.
Habitat — Kelp forests, sheltered baysWhen — Year-round
Emperor Goose
Anser canagicus
A pale grey ghost of a bird with a white head — most of the world's population passes through the refuge each year.
Habitat — Tidal flats and coastal tundraWhen — Fall & Spring
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianus
Long V's of swans cross overhead, their call carrying impossible distances across the open tundra.
Habitat — Shallow ponds, lagoon edgesWhen — Spring & Fall
Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
The Southern Alaska Peninsula herd ranges across the refuge, moving silently across the brown autumn moor.
Habitat — Inland tundra, hill countryWhen — Year-round
Gray Whale
Eschrichtius robustus
Migrating between Baja and the Arctic, gray whales pass close enough to shore that you can hear them breathe on still days.
Habitat — Bering Sea, coastal channelsWhen — May – Oct
