September 7, 2018

Seward Alaska Sea Life Center



The Sea Life Center was pretty awesome! We had hoped that possibly a Beluga would be in residence getting patched up and ready for the wild again, but no such luck. Which is good news for Belugas, but sad for my wanting-to-see-Belugas-kids.

Belugas or not, this is an awesome place!!

This is the octopus created from ocean trash, created by a local student. SO COOL. 


I know those fishermen! 


Essential Alaskan fishy things--xtra tufs


Flatty-pancake fish. 

Which is likely the technical name. The only flat fish I know is a halibut, but this one is pretty small for halibut. 


Sea stars


Sea things. 


I believe this is a white sea anemone--poisonous tentacles to stun small prey. 


Purple-y fish



This fish flapped those flap things, which was rather dramatic. 


There was a touch-me place, so we could poke anemones and urchins. Not that you wanted to poke the urchins much--those spines are stiff and poky. 


The anemones were all soft and squishy. 




They pump water out of Resurrection Bay, so it is rather cold. 


Barnacles--those hair things open and shut continuously


Old barnacles


The teeniest tinsiest jelly fish I ever did see


Sea stars you can poke


I love how this one looks like it is glowing. I think it is the morning sun starfish which is one of the most predatory starfish. 


Watching the seal in the outside pens. These pens are for the rehabilitation of wild animals that need care. Once they have been doctored up and are recovered, they are released back to the wild. 


He as entertaining! 


Crazy fuzzy puff things


This looks like some weird glass object created in the midst of the 1970's


Baby salmon


Grown up salmon


The different species of Alaskan salmon


Puffin fluffing


This was the seafowl area



Some marine biologists at work with baby puffins


My kids, posing for Aunt Geri


A stellar sea line skeleton that was put together and articulated by a local 4th and 5th grade class. 

That is the coolest class project EVER. 


A real live stellar sea lion


Some more marine biologists, throwing fish for the stellar sea lion to find when he comes back out


Having lunch


This guy is pretty huge. 



While incredibly graceful in the water, he is gullumphing on land. 


Sea gulls were quite interested in the fish laying around. 




Some serious muscles working there! 


Checking things out in the bay




Watching the underwater view of the sea lion



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