Michael The part of the Pacific Ocean located between Alaska and Russia, known as the Bering Sea, is home to gigantic fish populations. According to the SeaLife Center in Seward (a kind of politically correct aquarium and research center), the most commonly caught fish is the Pollock, an inconspicuous, relatively small marine creature from which fish sticks and McDonald's Filet-O-Fish are made.

The town of Seward is one of the largest hubs for fresh fish; this is where the fishing boats arrive with their catch. Dockworkers pack the sometimes astonishingly large fish into boxes, quickly load them onto trucks that are already waiting, and off they go. Curiously, hardly any goods remain in town. Only a tiny shop sold fresh fish, and we had to ask around for a long time before we found it. When we accidentally entered through the back door, I saw a box of herrings and was already cheering because herrings are quite hard to come by in the USA (except at Ikea). However, a grumpy fisherman pointed out to me that the herrings in the trough were not suitable for human consumption but were used as "bait" to catch larger fish! We bought halibut cheeks (the fatty cheeks of flatfish) and a few "King Crab Legs," 15 inch long meaty crab legs. The cabin we stayed at had a gas grill, on which I didn't let the delicacies overcook (as unfortunately happens in many American restaurants) but prepared them masterfully. The whole thing was quite expensive ($50 for the fish) but very delicious.

• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Alaska
  	Kayaking in the Arctic Ocean
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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Alaska
  	Kayaking in the Arctic Ocean
  	Homesteading in the Wilderness
  	Bushlines
  	Alaska Permanent Fund
  	Glacier Tours
  	Bears
  	Melting Glaciers
  	Killer Whales Up Close and Personal
  	Moose