Puffin Report 063008
Captain's Blog - June 30th
What We're Seeing
Baby Beluga Porpoise?
The sighting of the day came from a group of Dall's Porpoise. These wonderful animals are about the size of Dolphins, have a similar black and white paint job to that of Orcas, and are some of the friendliest creatures we see here; they love to come up and ride in the bow wake of our boats, jumping in and out of the water at cruising speed. Herman Melville's agrees with us, saying of the Porpoise in Moby Dick, "They are the lads that always live before the wind. They are accounted a lucky omen. If you yourself can withstand three cheers at beholding these vivacious fish, then heaven help ye; the spirit of godly gamesomeness is not in ye." While we get to see them quite often on our cruises, yesterday we were lucky enough to see a group that included a baby. We hope it was paying attention to its family, and that it will grow up to be just as friendly as exciting so that it can have us cheering it for years to come.
What's Happening in Seward
You call that a Marathon?
Everybody in Seward is getting ready for the annual July 4th race up Mount Marathon. The competitors will try to get up to the summit and back - covering 3.1 miles of ground and an elevation change of 3,022 feet - in less than the record time of 43 minutes and 23 seconds. While it is certainly an impressive feat, we feel the need to put it into perspective. The Gray Whale swims about 12,500 miles to get up to the Gulf of Alaska for the summer. As it's swimming, it might look up and see the Horned Puffin part way through its 2,500 mile flight to its nesting grounds in the National Park. So whether you're going to be in town to participate in the race, or just to watch it, come out one of our tours and check out some of the wildlife, and tip your cap to these fellow marathoners from around the world!
| | Kenai Fjords Tours Employee | Kenai Fjords
Wildlife |
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Full Name
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Nicholas Robert Gray
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Wschrichtius robustus
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Name they go by
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Dockter Nick
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Gray Whale
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Interesting fact about their name
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I was named after
Jolly Saint Nick aka Santa Claus
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I was once called the "Devil Fish" on account of my fighting behavior while being hunted. |
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Where are you from?
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I was born in New Hampshire.
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I come from Baja California, swimming 12,500 miles to get to Alaska.
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What brought you here?
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Running away from the shame of my beloved Patriots losing the Super Bowl.
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The water is very nutrient rich, and full of phytoplankton to eat.
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What's your favorite food up here?
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Halibut Burritos
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Benthic Crustaceans. To eat these delicacies, I turn on my side and scoop them off of the ocean floor.
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What is your favorite thing to do in Alaska?
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Camp at Caines Head.
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I love to eat! My whole day is spent eating as I travel to the Bering Sea. |
| What is your favorite part of the park? |
Aialik Glacier
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My favorite places are the nutrient rich waters between Montague Island and Cape Aialik.
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What is something we wouldn't guess about you?
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I can drive a Zamboni.
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One of my relatives set a record at Sea World for being the largest animal every in captivity. |
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