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Take a pleasant drive
out to sea and stop where the land ends and the world of seabirds and
sea mammals begins.
Fork-tailed storm-petrel
Black turnstone
NOTABLE SPECIES
Harbor seal
Sea otter
Steller sea lion
Steller’s eider
Common eider
Harlequin duck
Red-necked grebe
Fork-tailed storm-petrel
Pelagic cormorant
Bald eagle
Black turnstone
Surfbird
Mew gull
Herring gull
Glaucous winged gull
Black-legged kittiwake
Common murre
Kittlitz’s murrelet |
 FIELD NOTES
Homer Spit extends almost five miles into the marine world of Kachemak
Bay, offering extensive viewing of seabirds, mammals and other
off-shore critters from the security of land. Breakwaters and harbor
structures attract black-legged kittiwakes: their small, cup-shaped
nests are easily observed. Four or five species of gulls mingle,
offering a challenge to sort them out on the wing. Common murres,
red-necked grebes and surfbirds ride the swells at the entrance to the
small boat harbor and the ferry terminal. Loons, sandpipers, sea ducks
and bald eagles overwinter here. Look for Steller’s and common eiders
on the west side of the spit in the winter. Watch for harbor seals and
sea otters cruising just offshore, especially during spring and
summer. Steller sea lions also visit, and may be seen close to shore
in January and February. A walk around the beach in front of the
nearby hotel with binoculars and spotting scopes is a great way to
scan miles of ocean for off-shore visitors.
HABITAT
The end of the spit is a transition point between sea and shore, human
and marine systems. Harbor breakwaters, rock jetties and navigation
lights offer perches and nesting sites. Shallow water attracts fish
and birds—and deeper, off-shore areas are always in sight.
GEOLOGIC
CONNECTION
The Homer Spit is part of an ancient terminal moraine—a ridge of
boulders, gravel, and sand deposited at the face of a glacier that
filled Kachemak Bay some 15,000 years ago.
VIEWING TIP
Park by the state ferry
terminal and scan the entrance to the harbor. Walk the beach and
boardwalks (park at the Seafarers’ Memorial or the harbor). Bring
binoculars or a spotting scope to observe off-shore activity.
HELPFUL HINTS
The
end of the spit can be congested with visitors June through August:
expect to drive slowly. Keep away from Steller sea lions—they are
protected by federal law, their populations are declining in this
region and they can be dangerous.
GETTING THERE
Take
the Sterling Highway through Homer and follow the signs. The highway
ends on the spit.
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