Baleen

Many restaurants here in Alaska are decorated with Baleen. Baleen is a hard horny substance that grows in long plates in the upper jaws of toothless whales. The plates range from .6 ft. to over 12 ft. in length and grow down in rows from the gums of the upper jaw on either side of the mouth. Consisting of a strong, elastic protein called keratin, the material of human hair and fingernails, baleen constantly breaks but continues to grow throughout the whale's lifetime. The main function of baleen is to filter food. Gray whales have about 130 to 180 baleen plates on either side of the jaw. Some whales have 230 to 360 plates on either side of the jaw. Until the 19th century, whale baleen was widely used for combs and for stiffening in corsets.

Seward and the Kenai Fjords National Park

July 28th 2009
The Seward Highway is spectacular with views of the mountains, the Kenai Fjords, glaciers and wildlife. Most of the trip takes you through the Chugach National Forest where waterfalls, rivers, and lakes surrounded by beautiful mountains is the perfect place for viewing moose, bears, eagles and other wildlife. You can take a river float trip on the Resurrection River, or a ranger narrated cruise ... read more

North America » United States

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the origina... ... read more

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