The Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward
We were touring the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward and it was a quiet day, no cruise ships in port and no school buses in sight. About an hour into our tour we reached the seabird exhibit, where Francis the red-legged kittiwake resides.
If a bird could be said to have a reputation, Francis does. He’s known to prefer the human head as a landing zone. As luck would have it, he chose mine. He stayed long enough for my follow travelers to take several photographs, as I stood very still.
Little did I know the importance of the bird’s visit!
As it turns out, the Alaska SeaLife Center is the only place to see these birds up close, since 80 percent of the world’s population of red-legged kittiwakes live in a remote location called St. George Island in the Pribilofs. To think, I was the chosen one … could it be my Herbal Essence shampoo? At any rate, it was a wildlife encounter sure to get a laugh back home.
The SeaLife Center sits directly on the cool waters of Resurrection Bay. Following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the need for an accessible rehabilitation facility within Alaska, became abundantly clear. So in 1990, a group of dedicated citizens, and researchers banded together to make it a reality. The SeaLife Center in Seward opened it’s doors in 1998.
Partial funding of this $56 million project came from the oil spill settlement. Their mission is really three-fold: research, rehabilitation and education.
Visitors can watch puffins fly through underwater “skies” and meet sea lions and harbor seals up close. The exhibits immerse you in the marine ecosystem of Alaska and provide opportunities to watch animals in naturalistic habitats.
The center has helped rehabilitate over a 100 animals and birds since opening. The injured or sick creatures are generally brought in by fisherman or other individuals who spot the problem. Or, the center gets notification and works out transportation. Either way, their goal as our guide explained, is to “get them healthy and get them out.”
One of their rehab success stories was Lacy, a ringed seal, who arrived with a fungal infection. After treatment, she was fitted with a tracking device and released. Caring for sick and injured animals like Lacy provides important data for researchers. The research and rehab teams work closely together to learn from the animals during their stay at the SeaLife Center.
Once daily, the SeaLife Center offers a behind-the-scenes tour for a small extra charge. Although the tour is not for children, adults will find this informative.
First stop, the industrial-sized freezer filled with fish for the inhabitants of the center. You’ll also see labs and working rooms, where researchers are studying why some marine populations are declining.
Stellar sea lions, for example, have seen a drastic reduction in their numbers over the past 20 years. The center received a significant grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study the cause of this decrease.
Thanks to the proper facilities and centralized operations at the center, Alaska is now better prepared to cope, should another oil spill occur.
The small town of Seward, population 3,000, is a unique combination of port city and alpine resort. Besides its rugged, mountainous beauty, Seward is Alaska’s only deep-water, ice-free port with rail, highway and air transportation to Alaska’s interior. Thus, it has a special significance not easily recognized by the average visitor. The town takes it’s name from William H. Seward, President Lincoln’s Secretary of State. It was he who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
In addition to the SeaLife Center, Seward has much to entice outdoor lovers. Hiking, fishing and camping are popular. During the summer from May 1 to Aug. 1, Seward hosts the Seward Jackpot Halibut Tournament. Cash and prizes are awarded weekly. Anglers can also fish for salmon and rainbow trout. No less than two dozen fishing charter operations are available in and around Seward.
This area is also a kayakers dream come true. In fact, Paddler magazine voted it one of the top 10 kayaking destinations in the United States. The sheltered, calm water makes this an excellent adventure, even for beginners.
Another option is a boat tour of the Kenai Fjords National Park. Depending on the time of year, playful otters, sea lions, puffins, bald eagles, whales and a variety of other sea birds, can be seen in their natural habitat. Glaciers and spectacular scenery are why this park has been called “one of the jewels of America’s national park system.”
