Puffins, Seals, and Urchins - Oh My!

Seward, Alaska

May 20, 2025

Tufted Puffins at the Alaska SeaLife Center

Fun Facts About Seward

• It is illegal to wake up a sleeping bear to take a picture.

• Seward is the starting point for the Iditarod Trail, and the Iditarod Dog Sled Race

• The native Alutiq created innovative skin covered kayaks, the quayaq, to move stealthily while hunting on the water.

Before we get started with today's blog, we need to share some fun things from last night. First - dessert options. Soooo yummy!!!

An assortment of eclairs/eclair cakes, and a chocolate fondue fountain, which I had with marshmallows!

Last night's sunset was absolutely incredible. Not only was it beautiful, but it happened at 10:16 p.m., when this picture was taken. Over an hour later the colors of the sunset and some blue sky were still visible on the western horizon. And even a few hours later, around 2:00 a.m. there was still evidence of the colors of the setting sun in the sky.

May 19, 2025; 10:16 pm; between Valdez and Seward

Today is our last full day on the Viking Venus. Tomorrow morning we take a bus ride up to the Anchorage Airport to fly home. So today we set out to enjoy our day in Seward. After breakfast at the buffet, we took a shuttle bus through the town of Seward, and to the Alaska SeaLife Center.

The area where Seward is now was once a fishing and hunting ground for the indigenous Sugpiac and Kenaitze people. The Russians built a fort and shipyard in the area in 1792. Shipping traffic began, and continued even after the Russians sold Alaska to the USA in 1867. Shipping continues to have an important economic influence on Seward. Seward was named after William Seward, the Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln, who negotiated the deal with Russia to sell Alaska to the United States. Seward is one of the main gateways for traveling north to the interior of Alaska, following the Iditarod Trail. The town has a population of approximately 3,000 permanent residents.

The Alaska SeaLife Center was an amazing, interactive, attraction focused on the wild flora and fauna in this area of Alaska and beyond. The displays are easy to understand and very educational. There were live animals living there, some of which were rescued after being injured in the wild. And there were petting pools for some of the invertebrate sea life! Needless to say, I loved it there!

Here are some pictures of our experience there.

Petting Pool and Ice Comparison

Red-Legged Kittiwake:

King Eider, and Stellar's Eider

Horned Puffin, and Common Murre

Harbor Seal:

Stellar Sea Lion and fan!

This has been a wonderful trip! Seeing incredible sites, vistas and wildlife; eating well and relaxing, and spending time with family and friends!

Thanks again for joining us on our Alaskan adventure! We appreciate you reading the blog, making comments, and inspiring us to keep writing and taking pictures!

Until next time....Karen and Nancy