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In this episode, Jeff travels to Alaska, were he searches for undulates (hoofed mammals), especially the gigantic moose. First, Jeff roes around in a Zodiak, in the Kenai Fjords. The music during this sequence reminded me a bit of James Bond. A daring adventure to conserve animals? During his sea voyage, Dal's Porpoise swim along beside him. We learn that they can travel to speeds up to 35 MPH! Sea otters are the next animal spotted. They do a lot of grooming so that air will be trapped in their fur to keep them warm. Funny Moment #1: Jeff narrates the pair of sea otters. Funny Moment #2: He almost falls into the ocean when his boat rocks a little too much! Then, Jeff discovers some Stellar sea lions hanging out on a bunch of rocks. Apparently they smell quite awful because his nose led him to where they were. Funny Moment #3: Jeff demonstrates the difference between the bark of a California sea lion and the growl of a Stellar sea lion. Next, he kayaks in ice water next to a glacier, which moves a few feet a day. Since it's so hard to find one in the wild, Jeff next visits a giant Pacific octopus at the Alaska Sea Life Center. We learn that they are mollusks, and very intelligent. The octopus is very strong, almost pulling Jeff into its tank! The suckers left purple suction marks on Jeff's skin! Jeff also gets a little wet when the octopus sprays him with its siphon, which is usually used to help propel them through the water. Then, Jeff observes salmon swimming upstream and spawning. He spots one especially sick and dying salmon. Funny Moment #4: Jeff eats hemlock berries instead of blueberries. He finds some real blueberries, but then hears a bear and decides to split. Back in his Zodiak, Jeff spots a bear, possibly the same one they saw signs of earlier. Next, Jeff visits some black-tail deer, or Sidka deer, which are very small. Funny Moment #5: Jeff gets "attacked" by the deer. One chokes him and when one stabs him in the side with its antler, he decides he's had enough of the deer...and flinches when seeing a wooden elk sign later on. Jeff then goes and sees some musk oxen. Funny Moment #6: Jeff pretends to have the oxen perform while he attempts to move them through a gate. Jeff sees an "ornery" bull musk ox next, having trouble deciding where to stand so that he's out of danger's reach. Next, Jeff views Denali by helicopter, landing in Denali National Park (which is larger than his home state of Massachusetts. While there, he sees the elusive pikah, a small mouse like mammal. He almost manages to get close enough to touch it! Then he finds wolf tracks and tries his own wolf call...surprisingly, he is answered by wolves who aren't far away, but ones they cannot see. A red fox is also seen, and Jeff takes a few pictures of it. The fox investigates his backpack on the ground a few yards away. It then starts snowing and he sees some sheep. Funny Moment #7: Jeff "falls" and rolls down the hill. At last, a moose cow with two calves is spotted. She's a good mom because both of her calves are alive and seem to be doing well. Finally, a bull moose is seen, and the scene is intercut with other footage of moose competing for cows during the rut season. This is one of my favorite episodes. It has some of the classic Corwin moments- and, of course, lots of great animals in the gorgeous setting of Alaska's wilderness.
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