Showing posts with label sea otters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea otters. Show all posts

Monday, September 8, 2008

Alaskan ocean stroll

Sunday there was a short break in the rain so we went for a walk by the ocean. Orca Bay has this stunning rock mountain that juts out of the ocean and is covered by trees, bushes and moss growing in the cracks and crevices.

When it rains there are impromptu waterfalls that stream down the rocky wall.

We saw more sea otters and other sea life. We actually more otters and stellars sea lions up close yesterday, but alas, I didn't have my camera with me. Here's an otter peaking out of the water to survey the scene.


Here's a sea lion raising his head in the air.

Our vacation is nearing it's end. It's been great being here with family and getting a way from work and our everyday routine. Still, it will be nice to get back to our home, rejuvenated and ready to to get back to work and school.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Sea otters in the rain

I usually think about tropical jungles when I hear the word rainforest. But Cordova Alaska is a rainforest; they receive an average of 180 inches of rain per year. In contrast, Salt Lake City receives less than 16 inches per year.

So we are vacationing in the rainforest, albeit a cold rainforest. We've had a couple of very beautiful sunny days here, but the locals say that one sunny day is worth a week of rain.

Ian and I went walking in the rain the second day we were here. Here is a photo of nearby Mount Eccles, which has snow on it year round. If you look closely the snow is formed into a woman with a long dress on, facing left.

We walked out near the harbor and looked at all the fishing boats.

We saw some otters in the distance so we went for a hike on the breakwater to get a closer look. There were 4 or 5 otters playing in the harbor. Its so fun to watch them roll around in the water. They are such playful animals.
We also saw a seal pop his head up, but he dived down in the water before we could get his picture.


These sea otters don't mind the rain, though. They keep dry and insulated with their thick fur. They have up to a million hairs per square inch; much more effective than our flimsy raincoats.