boat trip from Homer

ferry to Halibut Cove

Our ferry, with ladies for the captain & first mate, carried about 30 of us across the bay. 


This island with many sea birds is on the way to Halibut Cove. 

                                        

This is the entrance to halibut Cove. 

      

"downtown" Halibut Cove (The Saltry)

The 3 orange buildings in the middle of this pic & the roofed space to the right of them comprise the Saltry Restaurant, the main business on the island. 


There were some unusual items in the back of this roofed grotto area (a fire, whale bones, art work), & I found the framing interesting. 


There's a required photo op. 

                                        

"suburban" Halibut Cove

The population here is 85, & the 30 of us on the boat were the only visitors today, except for a group of kayakers. 








The quiet of the cove was only broken by the voices of a group of kayakers & the motor of a float plan landing. 

This crow brought up a shell fish of some sort. The work of the local artists was all around. 

on the dock back at Homer

A charter fishing boat returned with their catch at the same time we came in; I don't fish, but this was cool to see. One halibut they caught was quite large. 


The catch for each person or couple was kept in a separate tub. 

Right there on the dock, folks from the charter company filleted the fish & packed them in dry ice to ship them home. 


*   *   *   *   *

Wildlife sightings (not counting those in the conservation preserve or the aquarium)

--> --> today: sea otters - 4   many tufted puffins & bald eagles & other sea birds      

--> --> trip total so far: 

    black bears - 4          deer - 2                grizzlies - 1            moose - 6

    stone sheep - 8        elk - 1                   caribou - 15            bison - 42    

    Dall sheep - 11        porcupines -1         mountain goats - 1

    trumpeter swans - 14+        many bald eagles    black oyster catcher - 1 (rare)

    sea otters - 9             harbor seals - many     

    many sea stars & jelly fish        Dall's porpoise - ~12

    North Pacific Humpback whales - 2 pods of ~ 12 each

    Stellar's sea lions - 100+ including 60 pups (counted by scientists)

    puffins, horned & tufted - many      

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