The next morning, we considered doing a Prince William Sound
cruise (26 Glaciers in One Day!!!), but the weather looked iffy, so we headed for Seward.
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| Typical Alaskan weather |
Fall on the Kenai is spectacular. We stopped to admire several vistas along the way.
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| Fall |
Its beauty made me wonder why we haven’t spent more time there. Scott
did remind me that it is ridiculously crowded during the summer, with fishermen
standing on top of each other (picture below).
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| So much for the solitude of fishing |
Our original plan was to go to the Sealife Center, a great
aquarium and sea life rescue facility, in Seward. But, the weather cleared
somewhat and the timing was right, so we took a Kenai Fjords cruise.
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| Cruising |
There are several providers that cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park. We have always gone with Kenai Fjords Tours. We have always been satisfied with the boats, the tour guides, the number of people on board.
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| We just keep coming back |
This cruise leaves Seward and heads into Kenai Fjords National Park, which contains many of the nearly 40 glaciers that flow from the massive Harding Ice Field.
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| The route |
I have
done this cruise five or six times (the first one was in 1990 during my second
business trip to Alaska). This trip was among the worst for weather (I said we were paying dues), seas (we had some
pretty rough moments) ...
... and glaciers (not much, but some, calving) ...
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| Calving glacier |
But, the Whales were
good – we even saw a Humpback breach, which I didn’t get on the camera. We did see plenty of flukes. Although many Humpbacks had already left for warmer birthing and breeding grounds in Hawaii, some remain all year and some linger to fatten up before they head south. These were stragglers and remainders.
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| Fluke |
Even though most of the Puffins had departed for the season (they migrate to British Columbia and even points farther south in the winter), we did see a few. Puffins fly very fast and are extremely difficult to photograph.
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| This is my best! |
We also saw Sandhill Cranes on their way south (they travel to the southern U.S.).
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| In formation |
And, we got very
close to Sea Otters ...
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| Just chillin' |
... and saw some great Steller Sea Lions.
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| More chillin' |
Our trip was aboard the Callisto Voyager ...
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| Our boat |
... a double-hulled boat that took the waves pretty well.
The trip took us from Seward Harbor through Resurrection Bay, where we immediately saw two Bald Eagles ...
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| Looks like a mated pair, female on the right |
... one of which flew for us ...
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| Fly-by |
Then we went down the bay ...
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| Looks gloomy |
... stopping to watch a crazy surfer (that water is very cold, around 50 degrees away from the ice, colder as it nears the glaciers) ...
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| Brrrrrrrr |
... past Cheval Island (named because it allegedly looked like a horse - I don't see it) ...
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| Do you see it? |
... and then up Aialik Bay to Aialik Glacier, a new glacier for me.
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| A big one |
All my previous trips had gone to nearby Holgate, Margate or Northwestern Glacier. Aialik is impressive and, although it only calved a little, the sound (cracks, pops and booms) and sight of it were awe-inspiring.
So, what are glaciers?
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| Tunnel under the glacier |
A glacier is a body of dense ice that constantly moves under its own weigh. Glaciers form where the accumulation of snow exceeds melting and evaporation over many years, often centuries. Glaciers flow like very slow rivers and, as the go, they form crevasses, seracs (columns) and even caves. Their movement abrades rock, carrying debris along with the ice and depositing it at the glacial terminus. Glaciers form only on land and are distinct from the much thinner sea ice and lake ice that form on the surface of bodies of water.
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| Touring |
On Earth, 99 percent of glacial ice is contained within vast ice sheets in the polar regions (including the Harding Ice Field, which is the largest in the U.S.), but glaciers may be found in mountain ranges on every continent except Australia, and on a few high-latitude oceanic islands.
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| Tidewater |
The glaciers we saw on this trip are tidewater glaciers that end when they meet the ocean.
Glaciers appear blue just as large quantities of water appear blue because their molecules absorb other colors more efficiently than blue and because they have no air bubbles, which give a white color to the regular ice. Glaciers squeeze bubbles out as they compress.
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| The ice at the top |
As they travel, the stress also causes loud cracks and booms. When large chunks fall off, it is called calving.
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| Flowing down the mountain |
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| Steep mountains |
Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on Earth.
Because glacial mass is affected by long-term climate changes, glacial mass changes are considered among the most sensitive indicators of climate change. Melting glaciers are a major source of variations in sea level.
Scott and I have seen dramatic reduction in the size of many glaciers as we have visited Alaska over the years.
There were a few Harbor Seals on the nearby icebergs. They tend to gather on the bergs for protection from predators, such as orcas.
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| Harbor Seals |
And, as we headed back, the skies started to open up.
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| Lookin' better |
We stopped to view the Steller Sea Lions that had hauled out very high up on the rocks.
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| A dramatic resting place |
Watching then climb is pretty impressive, too.
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| Close-up |
And, even though the weather was rainy ...
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| Limited visibility |
... we did have some lovely vistas ...
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| Pretty |
And, an exciting run with some Dall's Porpoises.
And extra treat was when we returned to the harbor in
Seward, there were Sea Otters right there, eating mussels and posing for
photos.
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| Cool! |
We spent a little time photographing them ...
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| Enjoying dinner |
It was awesome.
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| The closest I have been to a Sea Otter |
Trip date: September 10-21, 2015
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