Along the coastline, sea lions
and humpback whales can be seen from shore;
between the coast and the mountains, wildlife
includes red fox, wolverine, beaver, coyote,
porcupine, marmots and grey wolves. Because
of its exceptionally productive habitat and
remote wilderness environment, the Tat basin
is a stronghold for the grizzly in North America.
It is the only place where the rare sub-species
of black bear, the silver-blue glacier bear
occurs in Canada.
It also sustains the only year-round
populations of Dall's sheep in British Columbia
as well as great numbers of mountain goats and
the huge Kenai moose. As well as the 53 species
of mammals, the Tat also provides nesting sites
for about 180 species of birdlife. Bald and
golden eagles, hummingbirds, semi-palmated plovers
and the rapacious jaegers, ptarmigan and the
ruffed grouse all find a home in the park.
Rare waterfowl include both the
King and Stellar's eider. The area is furthermore
a major breeding site for Trumpeter swans, Harlequin
ducks and gyrfalcons. 95% of the Chinook salmon,
90% of the sockeye salmon and 75% of the Coho
salmon for the commercial fishery in the Deep
Bay area of the Gulf of Alaska, comes from the
Tat River system - one of the three major salmon
bearing rivers on the northern Pacific coast.
|