Anchorage Alaska Wildlife Center & Turnagain Arm Tour: A Review

Okay, if you’re planning a trip to Anchorage, Alaska, then chances are that the Alaska Wildlife Center and the scenic Turnagain Arm are probably on your list, that is, they should be. Very recently I got to experience a combined tour of both, and I thought I’d share a complete, honest review, just so you know what’s coming. Very quickly, prepare for possible wildlife encounters, eye-catching views, and a hefty dose of Alaskan charm. Let’s get started.

Booking and Pre-Tour Jitters

You know, booking the tour wasn’t too much of a problem. A fair number of companies offer it, so check a couple of websites. I booked a small-group tour, and this, actually, is my first tip: smaller is sometimes better. I chose it so it would be more flexible and provide a slightly personal touch. Too it’s almost worth a few extra bucks, seriously. A couple of days prior to the tour, I was, you know, that excited and slightly nervous type. Will I see a moose? Will the weather behave itself? What kind of photo opportunities await me? Turns out, these questions were just the tip of the iceberg.

The Wildlife Center: Getting Up Close and Personal

So, the Alaska Wildlife Center is, well, a sanctuary for injured and orphaned animals. They can’t exactly release into the wild, usually. Basically, it’s less of a zoo and more of a home for those animals who need one, anyway. We arrived first thing in the morning, that’s good for spotting animals when they are rather active. Very soon our tour guide, just a genuinely friendly person, started sharing stories of all the animal residents: about a bear with a personality unlike another, a wood bison, a majestic bald eagle who really loves his salmon, like your dad watching his sports games. The bears—brown and black—were absolutely the stars of the show. Watching them laze about, play, and well, occasionally, just glare at us was seriously special. Also, there are wolves. Now they’re usually rather camera shy, but that day, they seemed keen on showing off a bit, which was a treat.

Turnagain Arm: Nature’s Masterpiece

Then, after what felt like minutes at the Wildlife Center, we drove to Turnagain Arm. Basically, that’s where the views start seriously kicking in, actually. That waterway is bordered by the Chugach Mountains, which is something else. So we had the mountains on one side, and the shimmering water on the other. Plus, you could almost taste the clean, crisp Alaskan air. Now, depending on the time of day and, too, the season, Turnagain Arm has one absolutely special trick up its sleeve: a bore tide. Bore tides are kind of the largest tidal bores in the United States and this, is like, a wave that moves up a narrow bay or river against the current. Some people even surf here, that’s mental! We were there, on the other hand, when it was not surfing conditions. Regardless, the scenery didn’t let us down, as the water reflecting all that light gave an almost golden hue, basically, I swear.

Wildlife Spotting Along the Arm

Also, Turnagain Arm isn’t just for those breathtaking scenes. It is also actually pretty well known for its wildlife, which, if you’re very lucky, you can spot as you travel along its shores, really. Keep one eye out for Beluga whales which like coming out, as these waters are so fresh. As the water splashes around, you know. Okay, it could well be that there’s a moose near the road or a bear digging about, somewhere. At one of the many scenic viewpoints, we actually stopped, using binoculars in order to scan for wildlife. We could see lots of Bald eagles nesting on some quite high platforms on a tree, too that was great. On the ground were Dall sheep dots high up on those mountain sides, they have their white fleece standing out to make it a little simple.

Photo Opportunities and Scenic Stops

Let’s face facts: any tour round here is a great opportunity to do some photos. We could see a fair few photo spots, stopping at one area like Potter Marsh, really, it’s somewhere you’ll just have to visit with great birds in those views around the mountains, actually. Another really beautiful part of the journey took in Beluga Point, this being an extremely well-known stop-off for seeing these cute whales, with rangers who know those whale feeding/route timings for these ocean visitors that like traveling here, or just some extremely beautiful views round the Turnagain Arm region itself.

What to Bring: Practical Tips

A tour can depend on, well, being ready for things to happen, so being careful will pay dividends on anything similar to this one here, seriously. Make certain your shoes have traction just so you can easily handle what’s being offered, or perhaps bring some things you don’t mind putting through its paces while you enjoy yourself out there taking shots of whatever is available. Plus, pack clothes, it’s likely there can be rainfall sometimes. Taking binoculars might let you have extremely rewarding and private viewings for any wild animal that happens to appear; too keep batteries charged, as sometimes, on some days, it can be very beautiful! It is also an option to bring cash, to tip.

Final Thoughts

Okay, so, at the end of this rather brilliant trip to the Alaska Wildlife Center coupled to an exploration round the scenery within Turnagain Arm region, and very briefly looking at the many wildlife that inhabit this rather special landscape, the whole experience proves how valuable one like it can become. Really seeing these creatures closely when they are well looked after is extremely memorable as is seeing all of nature’s brilliance during that tour’s second part that makes you, well, a complete picture to recall in detail over quite some time. It provides one very special moment showing just how valuable these journeys have proved to become.