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NPS Photo

Kenai Fjords Visitor Center

Nature Guide

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From ice field to glacier to alpine, from the forest to the rocky shores, the park's many ecosystems support an astonishing array of life. Plants and animals change with the seasons. Many species travel great distances to feast and breed in this landscape of plenty. Sharpen your senses, hone your observation skills, and prepare to see the amazing creatures of Kenai Fjords!

Meet some of the species that are commonly seen in the park. How many can you spot during your visit?

Land Mammals

Front view of a black bear in grassy habitat.

Black bear, Ursus Americanus (© Ron Niebrugge / Wild Nature Images)

A brown bear mother standing next to her cubs playing on a rocky shore.

Brown bear, Ursus arctos (NPS Photo)

Hoary marmot, Marmota caligata (NPS Photo)

A juvenile moose walking along an out-wash plain.

Moose, Alces alces (NPS Photo)

A nanny and kid goat walking together on tundra in front of a glacial backdrop.

Mountain Goat, Oreamnos americanus (NPS Photo)

Coyote, Canis latrans (Fantasy Images / istock)

Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus (© Donald M. Jones / Minden Pictures)

Front view of a tundra mole chewing on a small twig sheltered by rocks and lichen.

Tundra vole, Microtus oeconomus (© Gerrit Vyn / Minden Pictures)

An ermine in summer coat standing on rocks, head and chest raised towards the viewer.

Ermine, Mustela erminea (Pum Eva / istock)

Sea Mammals

Birds-eye-view of a Dall's porpoise swimming just beneath the surface of the water.

Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli (© Tom Dowd | Dreamstime)

A breaching humpback whale jumping vertically, head and pectoral fins above water.

Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (NPS Photo)

Two orca in the distance jumping out of the ocean in front of a mountain backdrop.

Orca, Orcinus orca (NPS Photo)

A sea otter floating on its back in eating position, head raised and looking at the camera.

Sea otter, Enhydra lutris (NPS Photo)

Two harbor seals lying on their side on top of an ice flow in the ocean.

Harbor seal, Phoca vitulina (NPS Photo)

Two Steller sea lions on a rocky outcrop, the larger male bull turned towards and vocalizing at the female.

Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatas (NPS Photo)

Sea Birds

Two tufted puffins on a rocky outcrop, one standing and one sitting.

Tufted puffin, Fratercula cirrhata (Isaac Sanchez / Flickr)

Parakeet auklet, Aethia psittacula (© Robert Royse / Minden Pictures)

Rhinoceros auklet, Cerorhinca monocerata (© Glenn Bartley / Alamy Stock Photo)

Photo of a black legged oystercatcher

Black oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani (© Ron Niebrugge / Wild Nature Images)

Common murre, Uria aalge (© Menno Schaefer / Dreamstime)

Birds-eye-view of a pigeon guillemot swimming in the ocean, looking up towards the viewer.

Pigeon guillemot, Cepphus columba (NPS Photo)

Black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (© Maurizio Bonara / istock)

Marbled murrelet, Brachyramphus marmoratus (© Alan Murphy / BIA / Minden Pictures)

Kittlitz's murrelet, Brachyramphus brevirostris (© Design Pics Inc / Alamy Stock Photo)

Horned puffin, Fratercula corniculata (NPS Photo / Kay White)

Land Birds

Black-billed magpie, Pica hudsonia (© Nick Pecker / Shutterstock)

A bald eagle soaring in mid-air with snowcapped mountains in the distance.

Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus (© Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott / Minden Pictures)

Steller's jay, Cyanocitta stelleri (© JRubacha / Alamy Stock Photo)

Violet green swallow, Tachycineta thalassina (© Peter Llewellyn RF / Alamy Stock Photo)

A varied thrush standing on a mossy branch.

Varied thrush, Ixoreus naevius (© Donald M. Jones / Minden Pictures)

Wilson's warbler, Cardellina pusilla (© Design Pics Inc / Alamy Stock Photo)

Trees & Shrubs

A dense clump of Alaska blueberry with red-orange foliage and blue berries.

Alaska blueberry, Vaccinium ovalifolium (© Design Pics Inc / Alamy Stock Photo)

Close-up view of the foliage and berries of the Devil's club plant.

Devil's club, Oplopanax horridus (NPS Photo)

Close-up view of the Black cottonwood's fluffy white seeds and dark green leaves.

Black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (NPS Photo)

The top portion of a mountain hemlock tree against blue sky.

Mountain hemlock, Tsuga mertensiana (© George Ostertag / Alamy Stock Photo)

The top portion of a sitka alder tree with catkins in front of a mountain backdrop.

Sitka alder, Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata (NPS Photo)

The top portion of a sitka spruce tree loaded with cones.

Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis (© Marcin Wos | Dreamstime)

A dense clump of Barclay willow.

Barclay's willow, Salix barclayi (Richard Spjut / World Botanical Associates)

A dense clump of flowering feltleaf willow.

Felt-leaf willow, Salix alaxensis (© David Hosking / Minden Pictures)

Wildflowers

Columbine in bloom with drooping orange and yellow flower.

Western columbine, Aquilegia formosa (NPS Photo)

Goatsbeard with white spiky blooms.

Goat's beard, Aruncus dioicus (NPS Photo)

Cow parsnip in bloom with white flowers in front of a mountain backdrop.

Cow parsnip, Heracleum maximum (NPS Photo)

False hellebore foliage and spiky green flower.

False hellebore, Veratrum viride (SB Johnny / Wikimedia)

A large patch of nootka lupine in bloom with spiky purple flowers.

Nootka lupine, Lupinus nootkatensis (NPS Photo)

Close-up of sitka valerian in bloom with white-pink flowers.

Sitka valerian, Valeriana sitchensis (NPS Photo)

Fireweed in bloom with large pink spiky flowers.

Fireweed, Epilobium angustifolium (NPS Photo)