Wildlife Watching in North America
Wildlife watching in North America, from grizzly bears in Alaska to gray whales in Baja and bison in Yellowstone.
North America may not be the first place that springs to mind for a safari, but its wildlife-watching rivals anywhere on Earth. The continent shelters an astonishing cast of animals, from grizzly bears and wolves to bison, moose, whales and polar bears, and much of it can be seen with surprising ease in protected wilderness areas.
The great national parks of the American and Canadian West are the classic destinations, where valleys teem with large mammals and roadside sightings are common. Alaska takes it further into true wilderness, while the coasts, from the whale-rich Pacific to the manatee waters of Florida, offer some of the finest marine wildlife encounters anywhere. Central America adds a riot of tropical life, with sloths, monkeys, turtles and thousands of birds.
Whether you want to watch wolves hunt across a snowy valley, paddle among nesting sea turtles, stand among migrating bison or lock eyes with a polar bear, North America delivers wildlife spectacles to match any continent, and with excellent guiding, lodges and access to make them possible.
Where to See North America's Wildlife#
Yellowstone, USA The greatest wildlife-watching destination in the lower 48 states, often called ‘America’s Serengeti’. The Lamar and Hayden valleys teem with bison, elk, pronghorn and bears, and Yellowstone is the best place on Earth to watch wild wolves hunt across open country.
Denali, USA Six million acres of Alaskan wilderness where a single road offers superb chances to see the ‘big five’ of the north: grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, moose and Dall sheep, all against a backdrop of tundra and the continent’s highest peak.
Churchill, Canada The self-proclaimed ‘Polar Bear Capital of the World’, a remote Manitoba town on Hudson Bay where hundreds of bears gather each autumn waiting for the sea ice to form. Specialised tundra buggies bring visitors thrillingly close, and beluga whales fill the bay in summer.
Katmai National Park, USA Home to the famous Brooks Falls, where enormous brown bears line up to snatch leaping salmon from the water each summer. Watching dozens of bears fishing at close range is one of the most extraordinary wildlife spectacles on the planet.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA The gateway to one of the richest marine environments in North America, where a deep offshore canyon draws whales, dolphins, sea otters and vast kelp forests close to shore. Boat trips out of the bay offer world-class whale-watching year-round.
Everglades, USA A vast subtropical wetland at the tip of Florida, the only place where alligators and crocodiles share territory. Boardwalks and boat trips bring you close to manatees, ospreys, roseate spoonbills and clouds of wading birds in one of the continent’s great wildlife refuges.
Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica A jungle-fringed maze of Caribbean canals often called Central America’s Amazon, and one of the most important green sea turtle nesting beaches in the world. Boat trips glide past caimans, monkeys, sloths and dazzling birdlife.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica A misty, mossy world of astonishing biodiversity high in the mountains, home to the resplendent quetzal, hundreds of bird species and countless orchids. Hanging bridges through the canopy bring the treetop wildlife within reach.
Kenai Fjords National Park, USA A dramatic Alaskan coastline of tidewater glaciers and rich cold waters, best explored by boat. Cruises regularly encounter humpback and orca whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions, puffins and calving ice all in a single day.
Point Reyes, USA A windswept peninsula north of San Francisco where tule elk roam the headlands, elephant seals haul out by the hundreds and grey whales pass close offshore on their migration. It is one of California’s finest and most varied wildlife-watching areas.
Vancouver Island, Canada A superb base for encountering Pacific wildlife, from orca and humpback whale-watching in the Salish Sea to grizzly bears fishing for salmon in the inlets of the nearby mainland coast. Sea otters and bald eagles are a common sight.
Grand Teton, USA The sagebrush flats and river bottoms beneath the Tetons are prime habitat for moose, bison, pronghorn, elk and both black and grizzly bears. Its combination of abundant wildlife and staggering mountain scenery is hard to beat.
Isla Holbox, Mexico A car-free island off the Yucatan that becomes a global hotspot each summer, when the world’s largest fish, the gentle whale shark, gathers offshore in huge numbers. Snorkelling alongside these giants is an unforgettable encounter.
Corcovado, Costa Rica Described by National Geographic as the most biologically intense place on Earth, this remote rainforest on the Osa Peninsula shelters tapirs, four monkey species, scarlet macaws and elusive big cats. It offers a true, untamed jungle wildlife adventure.