July 13, 2009

July 13, 2009

We got a big dose of marine wildlife viewing yesterday, but the Puffins we saw just teased us. These odd-looking birds with large orange beaks never really let us get close. We heard we could observe the Puffin’s feeding habits at the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward. We were not disappointed. The highlight of the aquarium was the underwater viewing tanks. With them we could watch the Puffins “fly” through the water searching for fish fry to feed on. They flap their stubby wings under the water just like they do in the air. They are very cool, almost comical to watch.

We also watched the sea lions swim underwater next to the glass. Aimee swore that when they passed they looked right at her.

Beside the underwater viewing, the facility has lots of unusual animals you could touch including anemones, sea cucumbers, and 24-armed starfish. Like all things Alaska, the experience was very pricey but where else can you see birds swim.

After spending the morning with the wildlife, Aimee and I walked around the small town visiting the shops and the marker for the Iditarod National Historic Trail. We also spent a couple hours in the local library using the Internet and catching up on our magazine reading.