Skagway Wildlife Tour Surprises

Most people on a cruise to Alaska want to see some wildlife. Everyone knows that Alaska is famous for whales, bears, and moose but you may see some animals on your Skagway wildlife tour that will surprise you. That’s what today’s blog is about. Super fun!

Sometimes cruise ship passengers come into the tour booth and ask about what type of animals they may see on a tour. During May and early June, I always say, “This is a good time of year for seeing bears in the Yukon.” Most people get excited about the possibility of seeing a bear unless they’re from somewhere where bears are commonly seen. Then they say, “Oh we see plenty of bears back home.” Well, good for them. Anyway, this blog is for those people too.

Surprises are fun

You will probably be excited to see any animal on your Skagway wildlife tour but you may see some critters that you can’t identify. Everyone knows what a bear and a whale look like, but are you capable of identifying a hoary marmot? What about a spectacled eider? Do you see where I’m going with this?

Skagway wildlife tour surprises

Whether you’re taking a boat tour, bus tour, or train tour, what follows are some of the animal oddities that could cross your path!

Hoary marmot

These rodents kind of look like a cuddly beaver. They live in the alpine and spend most of their time eating and screaming like they’re being murdered. Don’t worry though, that’s just their thing. You’re probably wondering why they’re called ”hoary.” It has nothing to do with their mating habits even though they are quite promiscuous. The word hoary refers to the silver-gray fur on their shoulders and upper back. Hoary marmots are also called “whistle pigs,” which doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Spectacled eider

This animal is a large sea duck. The markings around its eyes made someone think it was wearing glasses. Back then, glasses were called spectacles, so they thought it was a good idea to name it that. I’m thinking that this person needed spectacles because that duck does not look like it’s wearing glasses. At all. The word eider means “body wool.” Seriously, who comes up with these names?

Arctic ground squirrel

You may see one of these varmints on a Yukon tour. They like to hang out around Carcross. For years, I thought they were small groundhogs. Nope. Some people call them “parka squirrels” because their fur is used to make the neck ruff of a parka. No wonder these critters run into their hidey-hole whenever a human walks by.

Wolverine

You are probably not going to see a wolverine. But if you do, boy howdy! I’ve lived in Skagway for a quarter of a century and only have ever seen one wolverine. That’s probably a good thing because these cranky little buttholes are feisty. Wolverines are also called glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, and quickhatch by people that just don’t know how to name things. Most wolverines weigh around 50 pounds but they can take down an adult moose. That’s just crazy, especially when you consider that they are related to ferrets. That’s right. Wolverines are weasels even though they look more like small bears. Nature sure is something.

Enjoy your Skagway wildlife tour

We hope you witness many surprises on your Skagway wildlife tour. Around every corner lies another opportunity for discovery.