30 June 08

30 June 08, Monday

We took the tour that went to the far away glacier, the Aialik; 6 hours. It was not for sure how far we would go; the captain mentioned few humpback whales so he could drive faster and so we had time to go the longer distance.

 

The glacier is one of the largest in North America and it is one of a handful of glaciers that have not been receding in recent decades. Large chunks kept coming loose and thundering into the water below. It did not look like much, but when you saw the waves it created you realized its size. Pictures don’t really give the impression you get when you are only 1200 feet away.

We did see a lot of aquatic wildlife: killer whales or orcas; humpback whales; sea otter; sea lions and millions of birds. Some were nesting so precariously on the tiniest piece of rock. I can see the adults nesting there but how can a baby bird survive when at the end of the nest the ocean looms way down low and cold.

This concludes a beautiful day.

The otter had fun in the water feeding and frolicking around. They have no blubber, just thick and tight fur;  6 million hair to the square inch.

The weather was the best it could be, bright sunshine, perfect for taking pictures. The captain mentioned the rare Seward sunshine we enjoyed today; we were lucky to have such good weather for our trip.

We did not start the Sprinter engine today; first time we stayed in one spot for a day.