Seward is a port city in southern Alaska, set on an inlet on the Kenai Peninsula. It’s a gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, where nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield into coastal fjords. Wildlife thrives in these icy waters and lush forests around this vast expanse of ice. Surrounded by peaks, the fjords are a spectacular!
We took the all day cruise on board the Major Marine Catamaran, we saw towering glaciers, puffins, grey and humpback whales, stellar sea lions, killer whales...and stunning scenery. Surrounded by steep mountain walls and glacier-carved fjords, Kenai Fjords National Park provides the perfect habitat for vast numbers of wildlife. It was a bit breezy, but the boat had a heated cabin, so I ran in and out! When we reached the Holgate and Aialik glaciers I was so impressed at how massive tidewater glaciers are and how they “talk” continuously...sighing, booming, cracking and calving. And so blue..hurts the eyes!
The city’s Alaska SeaLife Center opened in 1998 and it operates as a private, non-profit research institution and public aquarium, with wildlife response and education programs. It generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The world-class, 115,000-square-foot facility was built with funds from the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and serves to remind visitors, in a highly interactive way, the importance of understanding and maintaining the integrity of Alaska's oceans.
It also is one of the only non-profit organizations in the world that has both a public aquarium and fully supported research facility in the same building. The SeaLife Center is affiliated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and collaborates with numerous state, federal and international agencies and universities. It was raining the day we went and most everyone stayed inside so I got the Puffins to myself, one was very curious about me and swam right up next to me! Made my day and I got some great pictures
Exit Glacier is also in Seward and it is one of the most popular road-accessible glaciers in the state. We walked the "Edge of the Glacier Trail" (also known as the Lower Trail) to get a good photo in front of the glacier and we also hiked the more strenuous Harding Icefield Trail which is about 8.4 miles round-trip (also known as the Upper Trail). The upper trail provides an overlook, as if you're standing right on the glacier. It is a challenging day hike to a 3,500-foot summit, but you are treated with stunning views of the 700-square-mile Harding Icefield. This massive ice sheet, located within Kenai Fjords National Park, is the source of over 35 named glaciers, including Exit. The Harding Icefield Trail winds up the north edge of Exit Glacier, offering spectacular views of the glacier and surrounding mountains along the way. But what a climb!
