Capturing the Moment

  Whale watching in Prince William Sound has been interesting to say the least. The humpback whales seem to be far and few between. Maybe it is still early in the season. Maybe there just aren't that many ever here. We have been hearing sightings of bubble net feeding humpbacks from Southeast Alaska and even some from Resurrection Bay near Seward, but have yet to see it here. In fact, we havn't seen much more than slow traveling humpbacks whales, when we've seen them at all. But that is just the humpbacks... The killer whale sightings have been plentiful. We encountered at least four different pods of orcas here this past week. One encounter must have included over twenty orca. It was so amazing to see that many orca all surfacing at once. They were a bit feisty as well, with some sideways belly-to-belly swimming, tail slaps, and quick direction changes. They are always such a pleasure to watch. This part of Alaska has some of the most researched orca in the world. While on...

  There are so many beautiful glaciers here in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Many are high in the mountain valleys, hard to reach without some serious rock climbing ability. Others spill out of the mountains all the way down to the ocean. These are called tidewater glaciers, and are best explored by boat or kayak. There are a few, however, that allow a different kind of adventure. Meares Glacier is one of these. It is a tidewater glacier, but it is currently advancing through the rainforest on its sides, presenting a unique way to experience this glacier with a hike. There are certain parts of the glacier that you can actually walk up touch. It is a dynamic environment, always changing, so this adventure won't always be an option. But right now, it is an adventure not to be missed. We landed on a gently sloping rocky beach, perfect for a skiff beach landing. We crossed a small stream and entered the rainforest on a well-used bear path. We stopped for a few photo opportunities of th...

  The low tide had placed this piece of ice perfectly atop this rock inside the cave. View from the back of the cave. The goal of today's paddle was to head to the face of a very active glacier, called Chenega Glacier, and see if we could witness some calvings. However, I don't want to miss all the amazing nooks and crannies of the shoreline on the way. There can be surprises around every corner if you slow down and take the time to explore. I love paddling around ice and watching glaciers calve from water level, but I think going back into crevices and caves in the cliffs can be just as fun. And it can be very photogenic. Today was an extra special kayak. The group included my sister and brother in law. We had incredible weather, calm seas and sunshine. The glacier itself was very active, with a few huge calvings. We were able to paddle through the brash ice, bouncing off big growlers. It sounded like rice krispies all around us. And we got to check out some really cool sea ca...