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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Hunting for Grandmas...

So, I'm at work and my facebook email pops up about Beluga out on the sound, near Lockhardt Point. My heart immediately goes into convulsions because I haven't had beluga in my freezer for months.

Lockhardt and smoke

Ever since I read THIS BLOG a couple of months ago, every time I've eaten beluga, I think of grandparents. It's seriously makes me laugh a silly belly laugh.

Maija in the boat

Then I get to thinking about all those poor little kiddies who think Beluga's are cute and endangered and that we should just watch them through plate glass. Awwww....if they only knew.

THEN, it gets even worse. I start to feel bad. Seriously. ME...feel bad. I almost thought it would be best if we didn't see anything. ALMOST.

A whole lotta nothing

I've been to Sea World, I've argued with the college student with the summer job who tells us all about the "Majestic White Creatures of the Sea..." because they don't know what they're talking about!

looking for beluga

I like to see beluga's too at Sea World. But what's going through my head at the time is, "mmmm, Man, I wish I had a 30.06 and a harpoon right now...avatraq...mmmm..."

(Avatraq = Eskimo word for flipper, eaten completely raw when the beluga is brought home)

Anyway, for those of you who wish we didn't eat them, good news! We didn't even SEE one! All we saw was a whole lotta nothing!

up at the front

I stood at the front of the boat and looked as hard as I could, but my mind just couldn't conjure up the white spouts of beluga whale. I tried, I really, REALLY tried!

driver of the boat

We saw seals and snowy owls and lots and lots of ducks, to which Nugent was VERY happy about. But...no beluga. No sky, no sun and no land either for that matter. Too much smoke. It's a good thing my husband knows how to get around out there without being able to see.

Did you think I was going to leave you with great thoughts about the "ones that got away?!"

cutting beluga in the sunlight

Heck no.

This is what they look like to me!

maija cutting beluga alone

Enjoy!

3 comments:

Mommy Missionary said...

You crack me up! I can totally imagine the green folks at Sea World not liking you lickin' your lips over their displays!

reneegrace said...

awesome... i have never eaten whale... but would love to. Guess I haven't lived in the right parts of AK yet. :)

Cate said...

I too love beluga skin-- in fact, I love it sauteed with peppers and spices, or added into clam chowder, and the meat makes the best jerky ever, marinated in tamari sauce...mmm... But I'm wondering if Kotz folks are better about using the whole thing than I've seen in our parts? It seems like folks just want the skin, and leave too much meat and other parts behind, and that bothers me. I am all for eating meat until there is a lot of waste. Some folks have told me, "Well, we give it back to the ocean; those birds and fish need to eat too" but somehow when it's a whale, it just seems like TOO much giving back. Just wondering what you guys do and what you think. ALSO if you've got recipes for beluga skin or meat I'd love for you to share them! :)