What wildlife you can see around Skagway, and when

By Skagway Times editors · Checked October 18, 2026

What you see around Skagway depends a lot on the month your ship docks. In early May, sea lions and seals chase spawning eulachon in the inlet. In August, salmon fill Pullen Creek a short walk from the cruise docks. We built the calendar below from state, federal and park sources, and each row says where its timing comes from. Treat it as odds, not a promise. Animals move, runs come early or late, and a warm spring can shift everything.

The calendar at a glance

Key: ● = good odds, documented peak or main season · ○ = present or possible, less reliable · – = not documented for that month in our sources

For Dyea and the Taiya River, ADF&G gives one July-to-September window for coho, pink and chum together, so the table marks all three across that window rather than guessing a peak for each.

Spring: eulachon season (May)

The year's first big wildlife event is the eulachon run. Locals call this small, oily smelt hooligan, and it's also known as candlefish. ADF&G puts the Dyea Flats run in late April and early May, and says it draws harbor seals, Steller sea lions and bald eagles. In 2017 the National Park Service monitored the Taiya River and recorded the first eulachon on May 2, with the adult run ending June 8. The NPS also notes that runs come earlier in warmer years. Researchers there saw thousands of gulls diving on the fish and seals chasing them through the water. Steller sea lions are worth the look: adult males can reach about 11 feet and 2,500 pounds, and eulachon are among the many fish they eat.

Harbor seals gather near Yakutania Point in spring and can number in the dozens. The point is half a mile from the footbridge on a wheelchair-accessible trail with interpretive signs, so it's an easy walk from the docks.

Bears are out early too. The NPS notes brown bears patrolling Dyea in spring, and ADF&G says late spring is one of the best windows for spotting bears from the Klondike Highway. Mountain goat kids are usually born in mid-to-late May.

Early summer: whales and goats (June)

ADF&G's Haines viewing guide says a few humpback and killer whales come into the inlets near Haines, especially in May and June. That's the same upper Lynn Canal you cross on the 45-minute fast ferry. More broadly, NOAA says Southeast Alaska is a summer feeding ground for the humpbacks that winter in Hawaii. Federal rules bar boats from approaching within 100 yards of a humpback. NOAA's voluntary guidelines also suggest keeping viewing to about 30 minutes, and at least 500 yards from seals in glacial fjords.

Mountain goats spend summer in high alpine meadows. With binoculars, you can find them on the cliffs along the Klondike Highway near Moore's Bridge, or on the ridgelines above Lower and Upper Dewey Lake. Their black horns and all-white coat set them apart.

High summer: salmon in town (July and August)

You don't need a tour to see salmon. Pullen Creek runs right past the cruise docks and downtown. ADF&G says king and pink salmon spawn in Pullen Creek and Pond in July and August, and that Broadway Dock is a good place to watch them gather before they head upstream. Coho use the creek too. The king salmon there are a hatchery enhancement project: ADF&G releases up to 250,000 king smolt from Pullen Pond, and the adults return to Taiya Inlet, where anglers fish for them from June through August. If you plan to fish rather than watch, note that Pullen Creek above Second Avenue is open to sport fishing only from December 1 to September 14.

Out at Dyea, coho, pink and chum salmon run between July and September. They attract harbor seals, bald eagles and bears, and the NPS calls late summer a great time for wildlife watching there. The same salmon draw brown bears to the Chilkoot River near Haines, where ADF&G puts the peak in July and August. That's the safest way for a day visitor to see brown bears up close. See our bear safety guide before going to Dyea on your own.

Toads are the surprise of the summer. Boreal toads (also called western toads) are fairly common in the Taiya River watershed. In NPS surveys, the first egg masses usually appear in early to mid-May, and the first tadpoles from mid-May to early June. The first young toads leave the water anywhere from early July to mid-August, and ADF&G notes that thousands of tiny toadlets can ring breeding ponds in late summer. Watch your step around shallow ponds in Dyea.

Late season: bears come to town (September)

Salmon are still running at Dyea in September, and early autumn is the other good window for roadside bears. As bears bulk up before winter, they also wander into town after fruit and garbage. KHNS has reported a brown bear sow with cubs and other bears inside city limits in the fall. If you see one in town, give it plenty of room.

The bald eagle spectacle Southeast Alaska is famous for comes after the cruise season. ADF&G says more than 3,000 eagles gather on the Chilkat River near Haines between mid-October and January.

Tips for a day in port

• Short on time? Walk to Pullen Creek (July and August) or Yakutania Point (seals, especially in spring).
• Half a day? The Lower Dewey Lake loop starts from the end of Second Avenue across Pullen Creek. Plan at least two hours, and scan the ridges for goats.
• Bring binoculars. ADF&G says they help with goats on the ridgelines, and whales are often far off.
• Go early or late. ADF&G notes many species are most active at dawn and dusk.
• Never feed wildlife, and give an animal more room if it stops feeding or seems restless.