A fledgling bald eagle is the fastest-growing young bird in North America, yet it faces a challenging journey to maturity and acquiring its iconic adult plumage. As autumn storms arrive, king salmon migrate to river mouths and their freshwater spawning grounds, while resident orca pods expertly hunt them for a nutritious meal.

In springtime, the sheer cliffs along the wild coastline of the park have become home to the common murre, a bird that comes to land only to breed. The eagles, further along in their nesting process, have a rapidly growing eaglet in need of constant nourishment, and, unfortunately, the murre colony makes easy pickings for them.

While the male bear is distracted by harbor seals, the cubs make their escape. Out at sea, the seals are safe from bears, but not from killer whales. Just to the north of the park lies a deep underwater canyon that can only be explored by submarine. It’s a birthing place for sharks, and a world of rarely glimpsed marine life.

In the summer, the denizens of Olympia National Park feed in the lush alpine meadows, while a mother bear and her cubs forage for food along the shore. Tasty and nutritious crabs make a perfect snack, even in their shells!