National Park Wildlife Watching: ‘By the Sea’ Edition

If you think National Park Wildlife Watching: ‘By the Sea’ Edition offers nothing but ocean waves and coastal breezes, think again. There’s a whole other layer to the national park experience at any of these places, and it involves all the wildlife sure to fill your experience there. So in this post, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite places for wildlife watching by the sea!

Whale watching at Channel Islands National Park

Whale watch from any of California’s coastal national parks. Year-round, different species of the ocean’s gentle giants can be seen here. This way, you can visit at any time of year, confident that you’ll encounter these majestic creatures. At Channel Islands National Park, you’ll see gray whales on the move from December to mid-April. However, in the summer months, you’re more likely to see humpback or blue whales (the latter of which are the largest known animals on earth!).

Bird watching U.S. Virgin Islands National Park

With over 100 species of birds, 300 species of fish, and 22 kinds of mammals, the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park is an absolute feast of wildlife wonders. Hence, be sure to bring a camera to capture creatures from afar. Take your whole family out snorkeling in shallow waters to get up close and personal with the kaleidoscopic array of the island’s fish. In addition, if you’re a licensed diver, you can engage in a fully immersive underwater wildlife viewing experience.

Sea Turtle watching at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas

From June to August, watch in wonder as baby sea turtles waddle into the ocean at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. Adorable and amazing, these little creatures are not something you’ll see every day! So you’re sure to get some beautiful photos, as a well as a great story to tell the family back home, after this unique experience.

Marine watching at Haleakala National Park

Need another reason to visit Hawaii apart from spending days at the beach, lounging in the sand? What if we told you there’s a national park over there and that it provides one of the country’s best opportunities to witness varied marine life? As a result, you can discover whales, birds, vibrant fish, plus seals and dolphins, from December to April, at Maui’s Haleakala National Park. Check back in the next couple of weeks for additional posts on wildlife watching. We’ll focus on the desert, the mountains, and the plains. Have a look also at our blog on wildlife and nature photography. And don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any additional questions you might have as you’re planning your national park vacation and wildlife watching by the sea! The experts at Visit USA Parks can help you. We’ll make sure you’ll see some amazing sights wherever you decide to go.