Wildlife Live Cams
14 live wildlife cameras from Alaska to Africa — bears catching salmon, puffins landing on burrows, polar bears waiting for ice, sea otters rafting in kelp, and elephants drinking at dusk.
Bears (3 cams)
Katmai's Brooks Falls bear cam is one of the most-watched wildlife streams in the world. Churchill's polar bears pace the Hudson Bay shore every October–November waiting for ice to form.
Birds (5 cams)
Three puffin colonies across two continents (Maine, Farne Islands, Skomer), the Decorah bald eagle nest that draws millions of viewers every spring, and an Antarctic penguin cam running around the clock.
Marine Life (4 cams)
Sea otters wrapped in kelp at Monterey Bay, manatees clustering around Blue Spring's warm water in winter, humpback whales in the Maui Channel, and a live tropical reef aquarium.
Africa (2 cams)
A multi-camera watering hole in wild Africa and the Tembe Elephant Park cam in South Africa — elephants, lions, leopards, and buffalo gather at these spots day and night.
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Wildlife Cam Season Guide
Katmai Brown Bears — Brooks Falls, Alaska
Every July, the Brooks River in Katmai National Park hosts one of the most concentrated bear gatherings on Earth. Sockeye salmon returning from the sea must leap a twelve-foot waterfall — and 50–100 brown bears learn to position themselves at the exact spots where salmon fly into their open mouths. The cam shows multiple angles of the falls, the lower river, and the viewing platforms where rangers keep watch.
Peak: July 1–14 (first salmon run). August–September: the falls quieten, but bears on the lower river are at maximum body weight. Winter: bears hibernate; cam goes to holding image.
Churchill Polar Bears — Hudson Bay, Canada
Churchill, Manitoba sits at the tip of Hudson Bay at 58°N. Each fall, several hundred polar bears converge on the western shoreline, waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze so they can venture out to hunt ringed seals. The bears have been fasting since the ice melted in June, and by October they're restless and playful — young males spar in long wrestling matches that can last 20 minutes.
Peak: October 15 – November 15, shifting later as freeze-up delays with climate change. Once ice forms, bears vanish within 48 hours. Summer (June–July): beluga whales in the Churchill River instead.
Decorah Eagles — Decorah, Iowa
The Raptor Resource Project's cam on a nest tree in Decorah, Iowa has been streaming since 2009 and draws millions of viewers per year — one of the most-watched wildlife cams in history. The pair returns each winter, lays 2–3 eggs around February, and hatches by late March. Eagles grow from egg to nearly full-sized in just 12 weeks, making the developmental time-lapse extraordinarily dramatic.
Peak: Egg-laying January–February; hatching March; eaglets learning to fly May–June. Nest active year-round as adults return to maintain it.
Puffin Cams — Three Colonies
Atlantic puffins nest in burrows on islands from Maine to the UK, returning each spring to the same burrows they used the previous year. Three active cam colonies:
- Seal Island, Maine — A restored colony off the midcoast. Puffins arrive May, chicks fledge in August. The National Audubon Society's Project Puffin manages this island.
- Farne Islands, UK — One of the UK's most important seabird colonies, just off the Northumberland coast. 23 islands, 140,000 seabirds including 43,000 puffins. National Trust managed.
- Skomer Island, Wales — Over 20,000 pairs of puffins on this Pembrokeshire island, plus manx shearwaters (360,000+ pairs) and grey seals in autumn. One of the UK's premier wildlife sites.
When Each Cam Is Active
| Camera | Best Months | Off-season |
|---|---|---|
| Katmai Bears | July–Sep | Bears hibernate Oct–May |
| Churchill Polar Bears | Oct–Nov | Bears on ice Dec–Sep |
| Decorah Eagles | Mar–Jun | Adults present year-round |
| Puffins (all 3) | May–Aug | At sea Sep–Apr |
| Antarctic Penguins | Oct–Mar (SH summer) | Reduced Nov–Feb (local winter) |
| Blue Spring Manatees | Nov–Mar | Dispersed in warm months |
| Monterey Sea Otters | Year-round | — |
| Africa Watering Hole | Year-round | Best in dry season (May–Oct) |
| Humpback Whales (Maui) | Dec–Apr | Whales in Alaska May–Nov |
FAQ
Which wildlife cam is most active right now?
In June–August: Katmai bear cam (salmon), all three puffin cams (chick-rearing), African watering hole (dry season = most wildlife), and sea otters (year-round). In October–November: Churchill polar bear cam peaks. In winter: Decorah eagles incubating eggs, Blue Spring manatees.
Can I see predator kills on the Africa cam?
Occasionally — the Africa watering hole cam covers a spot that lions and leopards use, and kills happen at or near water. More commonly you'll see buffalo, zebra, elephants, and giraffe drinking, with predators watching from distance. The cams run through the night, and African predators are primarily nocturnal.
Related: Alaska cams → · Yellowstone → · Aurora cams → · Browse all cameras →