Ninilchik, Alaska

Ninilchik is located about 200 miles south of Anchorage on the road system, 3/4s the way down Cook Inlet. Historically a Dena’ina Athabaskan area before Russian occupation, it still bears remnants of that past in street signs and churches left behind. In the mid-1900s, the first fish cannery, Berman Packing Co., opened and shortly thereafter, a highway was built through the town. As with many towns in Alaska, infrastructure was built alongside natural resource exploitation; however, now paves the way for tourists like me to travel easily down from Anchorage. It has been known as a place to dig for clams, but recent dips in abundance has led to restrictions on clamming.

During our brief visit, we meet with Mike Gravier, a retired Air Force meteorologist who now spends much of his time birding, hunting, and surveying for COASST. In the clips below, Mike talks about his background, how he got to know his beach, and some of the changes he’s seen throughout his time walking the beach.

Mike Gravier, COASST surveyor, on Ninilchik South in August 2021

With a background in meteorology and a love of science, Mike makes observations about this beach and proposes some hypotheses for the changes he’s seeing. However, he also expresses a love of his beach and of the sensory experience that the beach provides.