At Wild Alaskan Company, we source seafood from multiple regions across Alaska, including the ecologically rich regions of Southcentral, Southwest, and Southeast Alaska — each has its own rhythm, relationships, and culture.
During the summer months, our family spends most of our time in Southcentral Alaska, where Arron’s (WAC founder + CEO) hometown of Homer is our home base. We also have deep, multi-generational roots out west, especially Bristol Bay, where Arron’s grandfather began fishing from a wooden sailboat in the 1920s. But we also source a variety of species — including salmon, halibut, sablefish, spot prawns, sidestriped shrimp and Dungeness crab — from fisheries throughout Southeast Alaska, a region often referred to as Alaska’s Panhandle.
Last week, we brought our two young children along on a journey through Southeast Alaska, connecting the dots between the port communities that shape both our sourcing map and our company’s story. It was the first time we traveled through the region together, so in between meetings with vendors and industry partners, we made space to experience these places as a family.
And what a glorious odyssey we’ve had. In Ketchikan, our two-year-old beheld a fallen eagle feather carefully displayed by an elder member of the Tlingit tribe, and got to witness a black bear languishing in the June sun. In Sitka, I tasted a percebes barnacle for the first time, which I learned is a delicacy and reminded me of eating mussels, clams and crabmeat all rolled into one very prehistoric-looking thing. While in Juneau, Alaska’s capital, we had a full schedule of meetings but made sure to carve out time to drive out to see Mendenhall Glacier — its ancient ice crackling under the summer sun.
These communities aren’t just stops along a supply chain — they’re ecosystems, cultural touchstones, and living classrooms. And all throughout the vast diversity of flora, fauna, culture and climate, I couldn’t help notice some of the common denominators of this wondrous place, some of its signature elements that seem etched into its essence, no matter where. Like the tiny forget-me-nots, Alaska’s state flower, which dot so much of the landscape in a confetti of periwinkle petals. Or the blooms of dandelion bulbs, which seem to appear as summer’s punctuation marks all over Alaska. Or the omnipresence of perfectly cooked seafood wherever you go. Or even just the image of a bright colored buoy bobbing on the surface of the water. Images that to me, no matter where I am in Alaska, anchor me to its magical and mystical geokarma.
Through this journey, we deepened our family’s connection to the waters, people, and traditions that have long defined our work. All I know is that the more of Alaska we see together as a family, the more of it I want to see. So, here’s to the happy anticipation of making good on that dream — and to the spirit of wonder and incomparable joy of such shared experiences with our loved ones.
Our time in the Southeast reminded us that every corner of Alaska carries its own story, its own magic, and its own meaning. And it’s that full, vibrant tapestry — not just the fish, but the places, people, and traditions — that we’re honored to share with you.
We’re back in Southcentral Alaska now, where we had the opportunity to take the kids on their first ride on the famous Alaska Railroad — a quick beat before the next leg of our ongoing Alaskan adventure. In just a few days, we’ll head west to Bristol Bay, back to the heart of our family’s fishing roots.
We feel incredibly grateful to live and work in the Last Frontier — a place that continues to shape our family, our values, and the way we bring Wild Alaskan to life.
Live Wild,
Monica
Picture above: A collage of summer moments with the fam from a recent journey through Alaska, featuring some of my favorite colors, shapes, textures, flavors and art from across the state.
