I adore Alaska!
Everything about it! Always have. I find it magical, rugged, full of adventure and fascinating people and culture.
Writing a fun fact book about Alaska probably shouldn’t have taken me very long, but the more I wrote, the more I learned, and the more I learned, the more I wrote.
So what started as a 3-month project turned into an 8-month project. But I learned so much and wanted to share a few of my favorite fun facts and interesting tidbits I learned along the way.
You Can Watch Bears Catch Salmon Live on a Webcam in Katmai National Park
During the summer, Katmai National Park turns on their live webcam at Brooks River. Here you can watch the bears feast on salmon, spot a bald eagle or two, and even the occasional wolf trying to get in on the salmon action.
Bears have been known to catch more than 30 salmon per day during the peak season in late June and July.
Watch it here: https://bit.ly/Katmai-Bear-Cam
Bald Eagles don't screech, they chirp
Bald eagles make a chirping sound, not the screech that is often dubbed into movies/tv shows.
Bald eagles have a distinctive sound that is often compared to a series of high-pitched whistles or chirps. Their usual call can be described as soft, staccato whistles — a rhythmic kleek kik ik ik ik, somewhat similar to a gull’s call. These vocalizations serve as a means of communication among couples and between parents and their young.
Contrary to popular belief, the powerful, piercing cry often associated with eagles in films is not typically the call of a bald eagle. More often than not, that intense scream is attributed to a red-tailed hawk.
No Poison Oak or Poison Ivy in Alaska
Alaska and Hawaii are the only US states that do not have poison ivy or poison oak.
Alaska-proofing the Kids
Children in Alaska are taught survival skills from an early age. As one example, in Ketchikan, the kids have swimming lessons as part of their curriculum in the young elementary grades.
In later elementary grades they have survival training and in 8th grade they do an overnight survival trip to an island with a coffee can of supplies and a tarp. The kids are taught wilderness first aid, how to stay safe from wild animals and which plants and animals are safe to eat and which are harmful or deadly.
The kids in Southeast Alaska have beach days during low tides to learn about and experience first-hand the things they have been learning.
Alaska can get hot, but not that hot
Alaska has never recorded high temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8°C).
Alaska is in Two Hemispheres
The geographical boundary between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres in the Pacific is the 180th meridian. Alaska’s Aleutian Islands extend across the 180° meridian of longitude.
This means that Alaska is in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
Favorite Alaskan Quotes
Here are just a handful of funny quotes that do a fairly good job encompassing the delightful quirkiness of Alaska. Enjoy!
New Amazing Alaska!
Fun Fact Book
Out Now!
Inside this THREE-HOUR, easy-to-read book, you’ll fall in love with Alaska as you discover over 700 wild and interesting fun facts and larger-than-life stories perfect for the entire family!
Discover:
- How Bob Ross, his happy little trees and Alaska are all connected?
- Why hikers in Alaska don’t have to worry about poison ivy?
- What Alaskans call “Alaskan Sneakers”?
- How much the U.S. paid for Alaska?
- Why Alaskans plug in their cars during the winter?
Whether you’re an Alaska native, a trivia buff, or an adventure seeker, this book promises to delight, enlighten, and surprise you.
Quiz Yourself!
As a fun bonus and to test how well you and your friends REALLY know Alaska, there’s a fun short quiz with answers at the end to test your Alaskan knowledge.
Want more?
Discover other Knowledge Nugget Books
