A pod of orcas swim in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
SEWARD — Kenai Fjords National Park is home to a large variety of wildlife, including humpback whales, sea lions, seals and smaller cetaceans like Dall porpoises and orcas, also known as killer whales.
There are three genetically distinct groups of orcas seen in Kenai Fjords National Park: resident, transient, and offshore. Resident orcas prefer to eat fish, especially silver salmon, and are most often seen in the area when salmon return.
One of the best times to see orcas in Kenai Fjords National Park is from mid-May to mid-June, and tour boats operating out of Seward offer half- and full-day excursions into the park. Major Marine Tours has a half-day “Orca Quest” tour, and Kenai Fjords Tours has recently reported orca sightings on their half-day “Gray Whale Watch” tour and the full-day “National Park” tour.
A sea otter floats in Resurrection Bay on Sunday, May 16, 2021, near Seward. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A pod of orcas swim in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Tufted puffins swim in the water in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Black-legged kittiwakes rest on rocks on the southern end of the Resurrection Peninsula in Resurrection Bay on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
An orca spyhops in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Spyhopping is a behavior exhibited by cetaceans, a type of marine mammal that includes whales and dolphins, where they poke their head vertically out of the water. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A humpback whale dives into the water in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A pod of orcas swim in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A mountain goat walks along a cliff in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Sea lions haul out on rocks on the southern end of the Resurrection Peninsula in Resurrection Bay on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A harbor seal and pup rest on rocks on Rugged Island in Resurrection Bay on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A pod of orcas swim in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A pod of orcas swim in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A pod of orcas swim in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A cormorant flies over Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Black-legged kittiwakes rest on rocks on the southern end of the Resurrection Peninsula in Resurrection Bay on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
A pod of orcas swim in Agnes Cove on the Aialik Peninsula in Kenai Fjords National Park on Sunday, May 16, 2021. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Kenai Fjords National Park is not designated as a national preserve.