We are at the Stoney Creek RV Park. Today we decide to take a glacier wildlife cruise suggested by Sam and Inez. Sam agrees to watch Jake while we are gone. We take the Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise. It is a 6 hour trip during which the Captain and a National Park Ranger narrate the sights we see.
One of the most exciting things we witnessed was the calving of some areas of the Aialik Glacier. Our captain parked us near it, turned off the motor, and we heard what sounded like lightening strikes as some of the ice broke apart. Then it sounded like thunder as it came crashing down into the water. When we saw the humpback whales, there was a large male on one side of the boat, and a cow and calf diving to feed on the other side. We were glad to see the Orca, or killer whales, this time because of their nature, but they were deceivingly less spectacular because they resemble dolphins. Nevertheless, we were glad we were not in the water with them.
A guy on a small fishing boat was trying to land a salmon while the whales were performing near his boat. We were relieved to see they did not capsize him.
As on the previous cruise, we saw many bald eagles -- this time two fighting for territory, -- stellar sea lions, harbour otters, and an incredibly dangerous starfish (orange in color) on a rock, which our Park Ranger got excited over. At one point she likened the voices of the Orca whales to a southern twang, and we later asked her how she could recognize that twang. Taken aback, she laughingly told us that even tho she was born and grew up in Alaska, she dated a boy from just outside New Orleans for five years. His mother was a great cook, but the family never liked the opinionated Yankee girl from the North!
We were fortunate enough to see bears in two different places and had time enough to video, as well as taken some zoom digital pictures. The boat was three tiered, cozy inside, but they kept us running inside and outside when there were things to photograph. Lunch was ample with smoked salmon entree, with no end to cappuccino to warm our hands after being outside.
Back home to the RV park and tired, we contributed to dinner with fresh halibut, which Sam deep fried to go with the vegetables Inez prepared. No one cared for dessert today!
Pictures are here.
Walldog, Willie and Jake
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