Page 29 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Pacific Northwest

A POR TR AIT OF THE P A CIFIC NOR THWEST  27

Whales belonging to over
20 species pass Vancouver Island,
the Olympic Peninsula, and
the Oregon coast as they travel
between the Arctic and their
breeding grounds off southern
California and Mexico. It is estimated
that 20,000 gray whales and 2,000
orcas make the 5,500-mile (8,850-km)
trip each year. The whales migrate
south from December to early
February and return north from
March through May.

Bald eagles, once common
thoughout North America, are
now mainly found in the Pacific
Northwest, in coastal areas or
near large inland lakes. The bald
eagle is regarded as a symbol of
strength and independence, and
was designated as the national
bird of the US in 1782. Contrary
to what its name implies, this
eagle is not actually bald; the
term comes from the Old English
word balde, meaning “white.”

Beavers are very industrious, using their sharp
upper teeth to fell small trees, which they then float
to a chosen dam site. The lodges they build within
the dam can be as wide as 16 ft (5 m).

Moose, distinguishable by
their magnificient spreading
antlers, are often spotted
grazing by streams, ponds,
and other marshy areas.

Grizzly bears, weighing up
to 800 lb (350 kg) and
standing as tall as 8.8 ft
(2.68 m), roam remote parts
of the northern Cascades
and the Rockies. Far more
common is the black bear,
smaller than the grizzly but
imposing nonetheless.

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