Alaska Wildlife

When my husband and I moved to Anchorage from South Florida, I was excited for the chance to see a moose. I quickly learned that you don't have to travel very far to see them. One day, I saw a moose in my apartment complex parking lot. At first, I was a little skiddish...(but you sort of get used to it after awhile). Another time, a moose's "tail end" was blocking traffic on Northern Lights Boulevard (a very busy street in downtown Anchorage). He was eating some grass on the sidewalk. His body was in the street which caused a major traffic jam. My husband was late to work that morning because of a moose's ass!

When we found out that we were moving to Ketchikan several months later, I was equally excited to see black bear. I finally got my chance when we drove to Herring Cove. If you are travelling to Ketchikan, and eager to see black bear, then head to Herring Cove! It is a 15 minute drive south of town. There are plenty of cab companies in town who do private tours for about $80 bucks. That's pretty cheap if you have a group of people to share the expense. Park near the bridge and wait. They will come! Bears usually come out to fish for salmon when the tide is out. If you don't get the chance to see a bear, then you will at least see Orca Whales, Seals, and Eagles. It's a peaceful drive and gives you a chance to experience the real Ketchikan.