8-12-09: We explored the town of Homer more fully today. We went to Homer Spit (a spit of land extending into Kachemak Bay) and walked along the beach. The tide was out so we were able to observe some interesting critters from the depths. Sasha tried to drink the ocean water several times before she finally decided it wasn’t a good idea. Later after a latte for Mike and a caribou sausage dog for the kids, we went to the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, a beautiful and informative center dedicated to understanding and conserving the marine environment.
We learned how the region’s Native peoples used the abundant marine life for all their daily needs (food, clothing, shelter). On the scene next were the Russian and American explorers, fur trappers, traders, and hunters. They introduced non-native artic fox to the islands which caused devastating declines in bird populations (this led to the creation of a Nat’l Wildlife Refuge). The exhibit about WWII battles on the Refuge during the Aleutian Campaign and how Cold War contaminants and even rats continue to plague Refuge islands was interesting. Amazingly, the Alaska Maritime Nat’l Wildlife Refuge extends from the Artic Ocean to the SE panhandle of Alaska.
After dinner, we rode our bikes along the Homer Spit and stopped at a small bay to make out what animal was swimming in it. It turned out we were watching 2 sea otters! They would disappear underwater, surface again, splash around, and swim on their backs while eating their dinner on their bellies. The kids were quite excited!
We learned how the region’s Native peoples used the abundant marine life for all their daily needs (food, clothing, shelter). On the scene next were the Russian and American explorers, fur trappers, traders, and hunters. They introduced non-native artic fox to the islands which caused devastating declines in bird populations (this led to the creation of a Nat’l Wildlife Refuge). The exhibit about WWII battles on the Refuge during the Aleutian Campaign and how Cold War contaminants and even rats continue to plague Refuge islands was interesting. Amazingly, the Alaska Maritime Nat’l Wildlife Refuge extends from the Artic Ocean to the SE panhandle of Alaska.
After dinner, we rode our bikes along the Homer Spit and stopped at a small bay to make out what animal was swimming in it. It turned out we were watching 2 sea otters! They would disappear underwater, surface again, splash around, and swim on their backs while eating their dinner on their bellies. The kids were quite excited!
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