Near the mouth of Glacier Bay, Icy Strait is a popular place to view humpback whales. More than forty of these colossal mammals patrol these waters every summer, feeding on herring and aquatic invertebrates. Most spend the winter in the tropical waters off Hawaii -- returning to Alaska in late spring. Watch for them breaching -- rising from the water vertically, sometimes completely above the surface, and then crashing down on their sides in an explosion of water. Steller sea lions, bald eagles, orcas, Dall porpoises, marbled murrelets, and a host of other seabirds also feed in these fish-filled waters. Other humpback whale watching sites in Southeast include Chatham Strait, Frederick Sound, and Stephens Passage.

Viewing information: Humpbacks are present in Southeast throughout the year, but the peak viewing period is from mid-June through August. Scan waters along shorelines for the vapor forced out of their blowholes when they exhale. Humpbacks make a variety of underwater sounds; listen with a hydrophone to add a new dimension to the viewing experience. Feeding humpbacks usually dive for 5 to 10 minutes, but they can remain underwater for up to 30 minutes. When a whale shows its tail flukes, it is usually going to make a long, deep dive. Stay at least 100 yards from whales to avoid disturbing them.

Size: 50 miles
Closest towns: Gustavus, Hoonah, Elfin Cove
Contact: NPS (907) 697-2230; NMFS (907) 586-7235

Directions: Visitors can kayak in the strait, sail, or take a charter boat from Gustavus, Hoonah, Elfin Cove, or Juneau. The state ferry passes through Icy Strait en route from Hoonah to Pelican. Several tour boats ply these waters as well.

The preserve, which boasts the world's largest feeding concentration of bald eagles, is one of the best wildlife viewing sites in Alaska. As many as 4,000 bald eagles gather here from late October through February, attracted by rich salmon runs at the silty confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers. Biologists estimate that as many as 400 of the magnificent birds make their year-round home in the Chilkat Valley. This area straddles the coastal and interior ecosystems and shares the wildlife of both. Besides eagles, visitors may spot brown and black bears, moose, mountain goats, salmon, river otters, wolves, wolverines, coyotes, and various species of birds, including trumpeter swans and loons. Birders driving into Canada should watch for the shift from chestnut-backed to black-capped chickadees, from Steller's jays to gray jays, and from blue grouse to ruffed and spruce grouse.