Puffin Report 062508
Captain's Blog
June 25th: Though we all love bright sunny days, we love whales more, and the sighting of several pods of Orcas today showed us that they are right at home out in the rain. Perhaps no animal captures our imagination and lifts our spirits as much as these playful and beautiful black and white creatures, most of whom only eat fish despite being labeled as "Killer Whales." One pod was spotted by our boat as close to Seward as Caines head (which you can hike to if you have a couple of hours and a tide chart) showing that you don't always have to go out of the bay to see things that are out of this world.
What's happening in Seward?
The Seward Halibut Tournament is entering its last week. The current leading fish is a 319 pounder; think you can beat it? While certainly an impressive haul, it's nothing next to the anglers that we get to watch every day on our wildlife cruises. Humpback Whales can eat as much as 2000 pounds of fish per day, and their baleen makes for a wider, stronger net than anything you could bring aboard a ship. Thankfully for the tournament competitors, Humpbacks don't eat large fish, focusing on, plankton instead, so they are disqualified from the event. But if you want to see a different type of fishing, or if you want to take it easy after a hard day of trying to catch the winning fish, come out on one of our boat tours and see the kinds of experiences we've been reeling in every day.
| | Kenai Fjords Tours Employee | Kenai Fjords
Wildlife |
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Full Name
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Kory Paul Piorkowski
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Eumetopias jubatus
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Name they go by
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Korky
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Steller Sea Lions
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Interesting fact about their name
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I was named after Three Dog Night singer, Cory Wells.
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I'm named after Georg Wilhelm Steller, a famous German Naturalist who spent extensive time in Alaska. |
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Where are you from?
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I was born in Tucson, Arizona, and grew up in Madison, Ohio.
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I can be found as far south as California, as far west as Russia, and throughout Southern Alaska.
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What brought you here?
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I came for the mountains, the chance for adventure, and the opportunity to wear my risky business sunglasses 24 hours a day.
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The rocky islands and cliffs on Kenai Fjords make great pullout points when we're resting, and the waters are rich with food.
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What's your favorite food up here?
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Deep fried Halibut
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Herring and Pollock.
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What is your favorite thing to do in Alaska?
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Climb the mountains (especially Mt. Marathon) and slide back down.
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Spend the day in the sun, relaxing on the cliffs and rocks in large groups after a long night of hunting. |
| What is your favorite part of the park? |
Holgate Glacier
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Grotto Island.
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What is something we wouldn't guess about you?
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My favorite singer is Frank Sinatra.
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In the 19th century my whiskers were sold for a penny a piece as pipe cleaners. |
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