Seal Oil Soap

[CaraBou]

I am on vacation in the Aleutian Islands chain, and found the perfect souvenir. A hand made bar of seal oil soap! I don't know how much seal oil it contains or what else is in there. It doesn't have much scent of any kind.

The indigenous people here have subsisted on marine mammals and fish for thousands of years -- and continue it today. There are no terrestrial game animals here to hunt. I've never tasted seal oil but it is said to pack a lot if energy. I was wondering if they used it in soap - now I know!

There is a woman's name and email address on the package. When I get home I will email to find out more about it. I suspect it is harbor seal but there are other species here too so that is one thing I'll want to know.

I'm getting on the ferry shortly and will be without communications for a few days. Let the adventure continue!

 

[cmzaha]

I think that is a great find and I can imagine it is a geat soap.

 

[jules92207]

What a cool find! You will have to update us on how it feels, if you are going to use it.

 

[Ruthie]

How cool! My brother is an artist (carver) in Kodiak. He has gone to a few of the remote villages and assisted the elders in teaching carving and mask making skills to the young people. And while there he has eaten as the natives eat. He says that seal meat is VERY fatty. So there must be plenty to use in making soap!

 

[lsg]

I was wondering if there was a fishy smell to seal oil. Let us know if you like the lather etc.

 

[judymoody]

Interesting. I wonder how much seal oil is in there - it would be nice to know if it's listed primarily for label appeal or if it's a significant % of the recipe.

 

[CaraBou]

I'm on Kodiak Island now. It was a beautiful ferry ride over. Took 3 days and we stopped in 5 small villages along the way. Really cool to see these remote places. Life is so different there than what most of us know.

Ruthie, does your brother have a shop here? I would stop in to see his work and meet him. We're here until 7/5. Let me know! I PM'd you.

 

[Ruthie]

PM answered. My bro and SIL just got back from the mainland. They were especially impressed with their ferry ride because the "old" ferry was in for repairs and a new one had temporarily taken its place. I guess it was luxurious in comparison. Cara, it's cool that you are seeing your state.

 

[CaraBou]

We were on the Tustemena, the oldest ship in the fleet. Not a cruise line, that's for sure! But they call it the Trusty Tusty for a reason - it takes the infamously turbulent North Pacific pretty well. But we had really calm seas on our way over. I was grateful for all of that as I'm no seaman!

Kodiak is gorgeous! Bluebird skies today for icing on the cake. My good pics are on my other camera, but here's a couple from the iPhone.

 

[lsg]

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

[Seawolfe]

Aw neat. We were just in Kodiak in April, here's a reference photo . I'll be back up there in 3 weeks, I'm hoping I don't get eaten by mosquitos. Have you tried that soap yet? Dying to know what it's like.

 

[CaraBou]

Kodiak in April? That's not your average vacation - so how come? NOAA or USCG? I gather from other posts (and you being a sea wolf) you're a marine biologist or something like that. Saw lots of whales on the way over (minkes &/or seis I think), Dahl porpoise, and harbor seals too. Still looking for Steller sea lions and sea otters, though I'm sure we've missed some. Could have used a friend with a more trained eye!

I'll use the seal suds when I get home. Don't want to risk leaving it in a shower somewhere, and I want my first impression fresh when I contact the Native savonnerie. The bar is in the shape of a Christmas tree so I won't be waiting for a more appropriate time to use it. Summer is way too short here but December is still a long way away!

I waffled between posting this in the cp forum vs. general chat but figured the bubbles would drift so chose the latter. I knew the drawback was fewer people would interact. So thanks you guys for being interested and conversant! Seal soap was such an awesome find, I'm glad you are there to share it with.

 

[Dorymae]

I waffled between posting this in the cp forum vs. general chat but figured the bubbles would drift so chose the latter. I knew the drawback was fewer people would interact. So thanks you guys for being interested and conversant! Seal soap was such an awesome find, I'm glad you are there to share it with.

Just so you know, I'm sure many like me are reading along and are very interested, we simple don't have much to contribute to the conversation. -But are still waiting anxiously for you to try the new soap!!

 

[CaraBou]

I was wondering if there was a fishy smell to seal oil. Let us know if you like the lather etc.

Interesting. I wonder how much seal oil is in there - it would be nice to know if it's listed primarily for label appeal or if it's a significant % of the recipe.

lsg, I think seal oil has a scent in pure form - though honestly I've never whiffed it. Fish comes to mind. I do know it's really potent in that Natives (and even the mushers they share it with) consume it it during winter forrays when they need to consume lots of fat & calories. They dip other foods in the melted oil to take it in.

judymoody, as for label appeal, I wondered myself who 'the customer' was -- besides me. I bought it in a museum gift shop so surely there were others with an open mind who aren't soapers. It truly is a unique soap in the modern day. I imagine in many markets people would cringe from it. But this is one of the special ways that Alaska is different from the other States. The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits most people from killing these animals, But Alaska Natives (indigenous) are exempted because it has been part of their culture for thousands of years. They already had a purpose for seal oil but I'm glad they found another one I doubt soap making is an old tradition with them but I will seek to learn more.

 

[CaraBou]

Just so you know, I'm sure many like me are reading along and are very interested, we simple don't have much to contribute to the conversation. -But are still waiting anxiously for you to try the new soap!!

Thanks Dorymae! I'll be sure to post my experience with the soap and what I learn from the creator!

 

[Seawolfe]

Kodiak in April? That's not your average vacation - so how come? NOAA or USCG? I gather from other posts (and you being a sea wolf) you're a marine biologist or something like that. Saw lots of whales on the way over (minkes &/or seis I think), Dahl porpoise, and harbor seals too. Still looking for Steller sea lions and sea otters, though I'm sure we've missed some. Could have used a friend with a more trained eye!

It was an awesome vacation before I had to work I was actually doing some oceanographic work for a NOAA contract with the help of the USCG, that was fun too.

I'm lousy with whales, but we did see Stellar sea lions from that sushi place on the bay by the packing plant/ship - the Old Powerhouse? And a few otters in the kelp beds from Ft Abercrombie - but through the telescopes they have out there. We also saw this crazy bald eagle fight above and in a parking lot, bunch of them stole a fish from a juvenile - that was pretty wild, though I felt sorry for the one who lost his fish looking all disheveled and alone in the parking lot - like he got mugged!

How are the mosquitoes this time of year? I have lost my patience for them in my old age.

 

[CaraBou]

We haven't seen or felt a single mosquito yet. But there are white socks (or something of the sort). Only in the woods though. We'll be hiking in the next couple days so that will give me a new perspective. I'll let you know what we find out.

 

[Ellacho]

Thank you for sharing your new find (& beautiful pictures)! Whenever I come to the forum, I am learning something new each and every time!

 

[CaraBou]

I emailed the soapstress about her seal soap. She replied back, asking if I'd like to meet for coffee when she visits Anchorage this coming weekend. But I will be gone fishing! She said she may be back again this fall or winter. So we'll see what happens.

Her invitation was very friendly. But she didn't answer any of my questions yet (like what species of seal, how much seal tallow did she use, and what other oils are in the bar). I was clear that I was not asking for her recipe. She simply said, "Chances are you are probably a better soapmaker than I." Now I'm wondering if she used soap noodles or an opaque MP base and just added seal tallow to it. The bar is a smooth, opaque, white oval bar with a Christmas tree impression on the surface, and it lathers really well during handwashing. I thought it was probably CP when I bought it, but kind of wondered. Is there a good way to tell for sure?

Out there in the Aleutians, everything must be shipped in at great cost, and very few supplies would be available locally. I looked for lye at the combination hardware/ship supply/grocery store in Dutch Harbor but of course there was none (by contrast, there was lye in Kodiak, which is much more populated and less remote). And the few basic oils on the shelves weren't cheap. It would be hard to make soap economically. I paid $7 for the bar -- not bad, I thought.

Well I don't want to assume too much. But I am really intrigued now, perhaps more by her than by her soap! I hope it works out to meet her. There is always so much to learn from people who live in such harsh, remote places -- whether it's about soap or not!

 

[Ruthie]

Sure wish she had been more forthcoming about her ingredients. Hopefully you will get to meet her later on. So the mystery deepens!