It has become one of the main attractions in Seward, Alaska, since its foundation in 1998: the Alaska SeaLife Center on Resurrection Bay. Anybody interested in the life and survival of marine animals can visit this institution and have close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions, sea otters and other marine animals. Also there is more to be learned from the research of the ocean scientists who work in the Center and study Alaska's ocean life.
There are Four Goals the Alaska SeaLife Center has Set Itself:
- Research of Marine Animals
The scientists are investigating the reasons why certain marine animal populations are declining in numbers so rapidly in recent years and are trying to find out what changes in the environment are responsible for this decline. Thus the Alaska SeaLife Center contributes to the increased knowledge about marine animal life along the coast of Southeast Alaska, where changes in their life cycles, feeding habits and food resources are becoming more and more obvious during the last decades. The SeaLife Center cooperates closely with the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and has some of the top marine scientists of the world conducting research at their institution.
Rehabilitation and Treatment of Sick Marine Animals
Sick and injured animals can be brought to the SeaLife Center where they are treated and possibly healed. These animals also offer information about their life and environmental impacts on Alaska wildlife. If the animals are healed they are marked and released back into the wild, where their behaviour and movements in the ocean can be tracked. This generates a lot of valuable information about behavioural changes and environmental influences.
Education of the Public
Anybody interested can take part in the educational programs the Alaska SeaLife Center offers. These presentations intend to inform the public about the diverse marine ecosystems Alaska has. There are different daytime programs offered, but more exciting are certainly the overnight adventures at the Alaska SeaLife Center. The Nocturne Sleepover includes dinner, a light breakfast, free time to tour the Center and two programs, but the most impressive part of this program is certainly spending the night with the seabirds, Steller sea lions and harbor seals.
Exhibitions of Marine Animals
Visitors can watch the animals in the SeaLife Center in the many exhibits where the animals are held in naturalistic habitats as well as in research settings.
How to Get to the Alaska SeaLife Center
The Alaska SeaLife Center is located at the beginning of the Seward Highway in Seward, Alaska, about 125 miles south of Anchorage. Seward can be reached by road, train, ferry or plane. The Center is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nocturnal Programs start at 5 p.m. and last until 9 a.m. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Ask for group rates at 1-800-224-2525 or visitaslc@alaskasealife.org. Reservations for certain programs are strongly recommended at 1-888-378-5252.
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