• Humpback whales delight Sitka tourists.humpback whale,humpback,whale,adolescent,mammal,ma image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
  
  Rich in history and teeming with wildlife both at sea and on land, Sitka, Alaska sits astride Baranof Island, a stretch of land accessible only by sea or air. The Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau boasts of whales frolicking in the bay, while bears, deer, otters and eagles delight tourists at every turn. A multitude of tour operators offer visitors a large variety of wildlife trips
  
  

Eagles

• The Alaska Raptor Center has matured from a backyard rescue center to an organization viewed as an elite bald eagle medical hospital and education center. One of the state's premier tourist destinations, hosting 36,000 visitors each year, the facility treats between 100 and 200 injured bald eagles and other birds of prey annually. Those that are too injured to be re-released into the wild become a part of what the center calls its "Raptors-in-Residence" program, a collection of birds that provide visitors with an opportunity to view the birds across the center's 17-acre campus. The center is open May through September from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
  
  Alaska Raptor Center
  
  1000 Raptor Way
  
  Sitka, AK 99835
  
  907-747-8662
  
  alaskaraptor.org
  
  

Bears

• Orphaned brown bear cubs frolic in the 3/4-acre habitat of Fortress of the Bear, a nonprofit organization focused on the protection and care of brown bears and the education of their human visitors. A covered viewing area overlooks two large cement tanks that serve as the home for these rescued brown bears in Sitka. Winter hours are Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May to September. The facility is approximately 5 miles from the downtown Sitka dock, so visitors should arrange transportation via a taxi, shuttle, car rental or tour bus.
  
  Fortress of the Bear
  
  4639 Sawmill Creek Rd.
  
  Sitka, AK 99835
  
  907-747-3032
  
  fortressofthebear.org
  
  

Guided Tours

• Allen Marine Tours provides visitors to Sitka, Alaska with several different close encounters with wildlife. On the "Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest," a tour vessel ferries passengers through island passages and bays in search of sea otters, whales, sea lions, porpoise, harbor seals, brown bears, black-tail deer and bald eagles. A second tour offers a combination of the sea otter trip and a visit to the Alaska Raptor Center, a spot where injured birds of prey are taken for medical treatment, while a third sightseeing option includes the sea otter journey coupled with a drive to Fortress of the Bear.Here, visitors can get close and personal with brown bears in a "created habitat." The season is late May through early September, with no reservations required.
  
  Allen Marine Tours
  
  Crescent Harbor Visitors Dock
  
  Sitka, AK 99835
  
  907-747-8100
  
  allenmarinetours.com