We visited in early July 2023 and the salmon were not currently running which meant the hatchery was not operational at the time, and there wasn’t much wildlife action. They do have a nice outdoor, self-guided tour with some video screens along the way to learn more about their operations. There was a lone steller sea lion there, along with lots of crows and gulls, but when salmon are running, apparently otters and bears also visit this site. It was an interesting visit regardless, but would be so much better if you visit when the hatchery is operating.

We went there both at low tide and high tide. At low tide you can see thousands of salmons trying to go upstream. And hundreds of dead salmons on the beach where seagulls and flies are having a day. At high tide, a bunch of seals feast on fresh salmons until they are full. Overall both the high tide and low tide scenes taught us one thing. You do not want to be a salmon… But seeing the place, the food chain and emotionless nature doing its thing will make unforgettable memories. A place in Valdez not to be missed. And if you are looking to see eagles, both bald and golden eagles are in the area so keep your eyes opened on your way there.

Fun few hours in Valdez. We could watch the harbor seals, birds, and salmon for quite a while. Then we moved a few hundred yards up the shore and caught our weight in fish! Bring them back to town, clean them, and flash freeze them to bring home! Yum! Kids and hubby loved it. And the rocks are fun to climb too.

Awesome place to go and see wildlife. We stopped on our way out of town in hopes of seeing some bears. While we didn't see bears, we didn't expect to see the sea lions putting on such a show. We probably saw at least 20 of them sitting in the harbor catching salmon. They were so entertaining (and hilarious). It almost felt wrong that this is a free, open to the public place to see wildlife.