Ketchikan

Southeast Alaska Discovery Center

As expected for a museum in AK, this place is excellent. I attended a ranger talk (It's part of Tongass National Forest.), & watched a film on the Tongass & another on Ketchikan's history. The beautiful exhibits covered natural history, culture, & human history. Somehow, I don't associate dinosaurs with Alaska, but it seems that their remains are plentiful on the North Slope. 






lunch & a drive south

The Alaska Fish House is a favorite with tourists for a meal & locals looking to grab a beer. 

Driving south out of town, one passes one of the ubiquitous totem poles. 


A few miles along, a British billionaire's yacht is tied up; the boat has been here all summer, but the helicopter on the bow just arrived last week. Apparently, J. K. Rowling was here a few weeks ago on her yacht & was seen a couple of times in the local grocery store.  


Along the road on the south end of the island are a number of small waterfalls, but all are camouflaged by dense foliage.


*   *   *   *   *

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

--> --> yesterday: 2 Sitka deer            1 black bear

--> --> trip total so far: 

    black bears - 21        deer - 10 (8 Sitka)             grizzlies - 1            moose - 8

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

    Dall sheep - 11        porcupines -1         mountain goats - 1       lynx - 1

    trumpeter swans - 32+        many bald eagles    black oyster catcher - 1 (rare)

    sea otters - 27             harbor seals - many, many         orcas - 1

    many sea stars & jelly fish        Dall's porpoise - ~ 20

    North Pacific Humpback whales - 2 pods of ~ 12 each + 1

    Stellar's sea lions - many, 100+ incl 60 pups in 1 spot (counted by scientists)

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