The 16,190 square kilometres Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 2,500 islands, reefs, islets, spires, and coastal stretches scattered all around Alaska. The bulk of the refuge lies along the Alaska Peninsula and in the Kodiak archipelago, the Pribilof Islands, and the Aleutians.

Most of the units in the refuge are difficult and expensive to reach, involving the chartering of small planes and boats. But there are tree sites in south-western Alaska where a relatively modest outlay of money can bring you face to face with this striking refuge. You will be treated to breathtaking landscapes and an astonishing wealth of wildlife, notably millions of seabirds and many species of marine mammals.

The knowledgeable guides show you wildflower –bedecked tundra, blue arctic foxes, reindeer, nesting puffins and other seabirds, but most of all they take you to the fur seal rookies. Form observation blinds you can watch mothers nursing pups, males fighting over females, and all the rest of this raucous scene.