Whittier/Wildlife Conservation Center

 Connie ...

During our stay at Williwaw Campground, we made several day trips around the area.  One of the sights we enjoyed was the little town of Whittier.  Whittier is located on Prince William Sound and is accessed by way of water, train, or motor vehicle by traveling through the 2.5 mile long Whittier tunnel.  Since the train also uses the tunnel, there is a strict schedule for motor vehicles.                          

The harbor in Whittier can accommodate small boats as well as cruise ships.  The ferry which is part of the Alaska Marine Highway also transports passengers, vehicles as well as large RVs.  With it's backdrop of mountains and glaciers it is a great view.

As we were walking through town doing our tourist thing, we noticed a woman walking a reindeer.  Not only was she walking it, but also having a conversation with the animal.  Now we're not sure how much the reindeer understood, but we do know that they were going to stop at the post office on their way to work...details later.  Not something you see everyday!

Now we know where the reindeer was going.  He hangs out (yes, he) in his Alaska chalet and his name is Jolie.  We tried referring to him as a she and were corrected.  His owner runs the gift shop next door which is the first photo in this post.  So mystery solved; Jolie also loves to eat reindeer food from a cup which can be purchased from the vending machine on the porch.

Whittier is an ice free port and yet is surrounded by three magnificent glaciers; they are Portage Glacier, Whittier Glacier and Surprise Glacier.  Standing in the middle of town there are these beautiful sights all around you.

After we left Whittier we decided to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  It is an outdoor center that includes many wildlife that have been brought to the center through rescue operations.  AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals and provides spacious enclosures.  Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home with quality care.  This is a non-profit organization.  The caribou pictured above make their home at the AWCC.

This musk ox is an animal we had never seen up close before.

This bear is very sad to watch.  He paces back and forth  and when he gets to the end of the path he bows his head and shakes then proceeds to pace again.  Obviously he is feeling very stressed.  Wish we knew his story.

We loved looking at the moose.  There were quite a few of them and they were more than happy to have their picture taken.  Such interesting animals.

The buffalo looked very much at home with the mountains in the background.  Reminds me of an old western movie.