So we crossed from the Yukon into Alaska on May 1st. Here it is July 1st and I am posting about our first day trip on May 12th. Reminds me just how far behind I am.
We’ve actually been in Alaska for 8 weeks and we’ve been on several day trips now. One thing I have decided is that Nat Geo has been lying to us for years! There is not a moose standing in the road around every bend and there aren’t bears catching salmon in every river and creek. As a matter of fact, I saw my first wild bear just this week. That being said, if you want to make sure to see all of the Alaskan wildlife, you need to take a day trip to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
We drove past the entrance to the AWCC because we had heard there were a bunch of eagles in Turnagain Arm. The tide was out and, who knew that eagles will stand in the shallow waters to hunt…
It was amazing to see so many eagles in such a small area.
It was a cold, raw day and the skies kept threatening to drench us. We had dressed for it and were ready to explore the AWCC. The conservation work being done there is truly impressive. They have helped re-introduce wood bison and other large game back into the wilderness. Some of their wildlife are movie stars, having been on loan for the filming of Into The Wild.
I loved how much room the animals had and how natural their habitats were. Here are my favorite pictures from our day…
There were several other species I didn’t get any decent shots of, like moose, lynx, porcupine and reindeer.
I’m hoping to see most of these animals in the wild and if you’ve been following me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll know which ones I’ve seen so far.
Up next…Kenai Fjords National Park.
Thanks for coming along!
The Wandering RVer 
That is some awesome pictures.
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Thank you Mark. AWCC works hard to make the environment as natural as possible for the animals, so it isn’t like taking pictures in a zoo.
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Wow… fantastic photos. You would never know that it was a protected habitat. That’s the way these places should be. Very cool!
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Thank you. They really go out of their way to make it natural. It’s a great place to visit.
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We were recently in Juneau on a cruise. I was amazed how many eagles had nests in the trees near the pier. What a delight to watch them riding the thermals near the cliffs and flying from tree to tree.
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I’ve really enjoyed watching the eagles here. I just never knew they would stand in the water and fish like that.
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Amazing.
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What glorious wildlife photos Laura. The bear ones in particular are astonishing. We recently were at Glacier Bay Lodge and just outside our window Mama moose and her calf meandered on by as if we had been transported to a nature documentary. We count ourselves lucky to have witnessed it.
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Thank you Sue! Glacier Bay Lodge looks amazing! I’m glad you got to see the “natives”.
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Wow! You definitely had a blast and I simply cannot get enough of your pictures, Steve and Laura! Such an abundance of wildlife which seems worth seeing. Is this place good for camping?
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There are lots of campgrounds in the area. In some areas, you have to have a camper or RV and in other areas tents are ok. It’s definitely a beautiful place!
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Oh…the baby bison! You got great shots–what a thrill to witness it taking its first walk and getting lunch from mama! I’m so glad there are places like this protecting the wildlife. Your shots are phenomenal!
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Thank you. The center does amazing work protecting those incredible species. I’m glad we went in the springtime with all the babies!
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