Favorite Wildlife Encounters

One of my favorite things about traveling around the world is seeing nature and encountering different animals. As an animal lover, seeing animals freely roaming in the wild is always thrilling to see. Over the years, these are the top wildlife encounters I have had on my travels:

1. Bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve

   Located in Alaska is the park where most bear photos in the United States come from. Katmai National Park and Preserve has Alaskan Brown Bears that feasts on the salmon of Brooks Falls. Seeing these bears was a dream come true. It was surreal to be that close to bears. In the park, the bears outnumbered us 14:1! When walking on a boardwalk, I could hear them grunting and breathing as they walked by. A part of me wanted to reach down and touch the fuzzy bears, but the rational part in me knew that would be stupid. The whole experience was enough to make it to my number 1!

   
   

   

   Watching the Alaskan Brown Bears search for salmon at Katmai National Park

2. Monkeys in Costa Rica

   Monkeys are among the closest animal relative to humans, so it is a dream to see them in the wild. When I went to Costa Rica, I saw the monkey trifecta. I saw the howler monkeys and listened to their loud howls in the background, the spider monkeys swinging high in the trees, and the white-faced capuchins jumping around nearby humans in Manuel Antonio National Park.

   
   

   

   A monkey hanging around in Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica

3. Sea Turtles in Hawaii

   Turtles are one of my favorite animals. On the Big Island in Hawaii, I had a few sea turtles swimming around my feet in the ocean. They were swimming freely and did not appear to be unbothered by nearby humans.

   
   

   

   Sea turtles swimming freely in Hawaii

4. Whales in Alaska

   Whales are the ocean giants. To see them in Alaska on a tour in Kenai Fjords was an incredible experience as we watched massive humpback whales come out of the water to eat. When the boat put a speaker underwater, we could hear the whales communicating.

   
   

5. Sea Lions in San Francisco

   Sitting on Pier 39 in the city of San Francisco are multiple Sea Lions. They are loud and they smell, but I enjoyed seeing them.

   
   

   

   Sea Lions smelling and barking at Pier 39 in San Francisco

6. Prairie Dogs in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

   Coming to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you can see bison and wild horses. I saw both, but my favorite were the prairie dogs. They are around the size of a squirrel. It was fun to watch this small animal stand on its hind legs and make so much noise.

   
   

7. Moose in Alaska

   Prior to going to Alaska, I have seen several elk. I used to think elk were moose. They look similar, but moose are massive compared to elk. On my second day in Alaska, I saw my first moose ever. It was just a baby, but to see the huge animal standing on the side of the road was an unforgettable moment. In Alaska, there are signs throughout the state that warn you about crossing moose. We saw one cross the road in front of us. Watch out because they can easily destroy your vehicle!

   
   

8. Zebra Doves in Hawaii

   As I have gotten older, I have become a bird watcher. There are so many bird species around the world with different colors and sounds that it is difficult not to like them. At Byodo-In Temple in Hawaii, they have a small pond with swans and birds. After buying bird seed, I was not expecting the birds to try and come up to me directly to eat. I scattered the bird seed on my arm and hand and had multiple birds sit directly on me and eat. Their feet and beaks pick a little bit, but it was a fantastic travel moment that still has me thinking about it to this day.

   
   

   

   Zebra doves having a snack from my hand in Hawaii

9. American Black Bear in Shenandoah National Park

   In July of 2020, I had just bought my first brand new vehicle! I was proud of my purchase. To celebrate the holiday weekend, we went to Shenandoah National Park. While driving along the park road, a couple of black bears darted out in front of the car. The first animal that nearly hit my car was not a rabbit, a squirrel, or a deer -- it was a bear! And this is why they always recommend to drive the speed limit on the park roads!

   
   

10. Fighting Iguanas in Costa Rica

    We saw several iguanas relaxing in Costa Rica. They seemed like lazy, peaceful creatures. As we were walking to lunch in Manuel Antonio, we heard a racket. We looked over and two iguanas were fighting! Why can't we all just get along?

    
    

11. Raccoon in Louisiana

    In Louisiana, I took a swamp boat tour. It was February, and the point of the trip was to see alligators. Since it was February, all I saw was a baby. The highlight of the trip was not seeing the baby alligator -- it was, in fact, meeting the one and only George Cooney. George is a tour guide fed raccoon. Seeing him stand up begging for food at our boat made the cold boat tour worth the trip.

    
    

    

    Feeding and meeting George Cooney

12. Escaping Pig

    I have been to a few zoos, so I had to put one on here. At a petting zoo at an apple orchard in Westminster, Maryland, a pig escaped from the cage. Everyone freaked out and wondered what to do. A guy who watched a YouTube video on pigs picked it up. The pig hated it and squealed the entire time it was carried back to its cage. When we told the workers, nobody came or seemed to care. Just another day at the zoo!