Kenai Fjords National Park

July 2018 --  According to Wikipedia "Kenai Fjords National Park is a national park that comprises the Harding Icefield, its outflowing glaciers, and coastal fjords and islands. The park covers an area of 669,984 acres on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, west of the town of Seward." One of the best ways to see Kenai Fjord National Park is by boat. I took 6 hour cruise aboard the Coastal Explorer. 

Coastal Explorer

Sea Otter

Onboard the Coastal Explorer

Getting close to glacier

Ice cave

Glacier calving

We saw an abundance of wildlife on our cruise. There were sea otters in the harbor. Sea lions were plentiful. They are the largest of the eared seals. They are not threatened. Where you see a bunch of sea lions is called a haul-out or rookery. Seems like all they do is lay around and sleep. What a life!

Wildlife watching

Rock outcrop with a few resident sea lions

Sun bathing

Birds and Lions

Sea lion haul-out

We saw a lot of birds, too. Puffins are the cutest. They are black and white, with large multicolored bills. There are two kinds:  horned and tuft. Puffins hang out in coastal colonies in the spring and summer to breed. They stick with their mates for a long time. Another bird we saw the Black-billed Magpie. It is easily identified by its markings:  black head, neck, and back. They are related to jays and crows.

Puffin rookery

Up close:  Tuft Puffin

A rookery of Black-billed Magpies

We didn't see as  many whales as I saw on our whale-watching trip at Icy Strait Point. Humpbacks and orcas are the most common whales seen in Kenai Fjords National Park.