Capturing the Moment

  I still can't believe it. We had a couple of very clear nights last week as we sailed the Safari Quest through Southeast Alaska. Not only did that bring some beautiful sunsets, but one night it brought something even rarer, Aurora Borealis!    To see the Northern Lights you need a combination of factors. You need a clear night sky, darkness, and a perfectly timed release of charged particles by the sun. There are a few apps out there that are getting better at predicting the chances and intensity of the northern lights, however just getting a clear night sky is a task in itself here in Alaska. It is the rainforest, which means low hanging clouds almost all the time. Plus it is still summer, so the days are long, and the nights not very dark.   Our night deckhand shocked me with a midnight wake up call for northern lights. I lept out of bed, threw on my clothes, grabbed my camera and bolted up on deck. I was amazed further at the intensity of the lights. The...

daimarsphotos.com  It is time to say goodbye to Alaska for another season, and it said goodbye to us in epic fashion. The weather was beautiful, the seas were calm, there was a plethora of wildlife, and the adventures ran thick. Our guests were excited and eager to answer the call of the wilderness that only Alaska can provide.      On Baranof Island along a tranquil rocky stream we watched as 15 different bears spent time chasing salmon, or each other, trying to get their fill. A few times some of the younger bears looked like they were heading out way, but we remained safe and sound ontop of the river bank. www.daimartamarack.com   Back out on the water we had multiple encounters with feeding humpback whales. We watched from the bow of the Quest as the fading light of day backlit the blows of one group. Then the next day we sped off on our small zodiac skiffs to get a closer look at bubble net feeding humpbacks.    After the bubb...

   In my Alaska experience I've only ever seen the Aurora Borealis in late April or September. Those months are the very beginning and the very ending of our Alaska cruising season. My boat this year is running British Columbia trips in those months and Alaska only from late May to late August. So I had accepted the fact that I wouldn't see the northern lights this year. But here you go, northern lights in early August!      This was at 12:30 in the morning when the sky is at its darkest. During the peak of the summer season it is still too light to see the northern lights even at this hour. But each day gets a little shorter so if everything works out...a solar storm, no clouds, a dark night....and Aurora that reaches this far south...then the impossible suddenly become possible. Thankfully we have someone up 24hrs a day on the boat to keep everyone safe...and to make sure we don't miss anything like this!  Check out all my other encounters with t...

   I find myself once again in Seattle at Fishermen's Terminal, on the verge of cruising up to Alaska's famous Inside Passage for a summer aboard one of the UnCruise boats. I can't help but look back through some of my old pictures and remember all of the amazing encounters and experiences I've had these past two years as an expedition leader. And I can't help but imagine what lies in store for this summer.   I've witnessed massive calving events at different tidewater glaciers. I've seen the salmon run so thick that I could literally reach in and grab one with my bare hand. I've seen hungry mama bears teach their cubs how to catch fish. I've seen eagles spar in mid-air and puffins get a running start as they take off from the water. I have walked inside a cave made completely out of ice under a glacier. I've been woken up in the middle of the night to experience the incredible lights of the Aurora Borealis. And I've been surrounded ...

Aurora Borealis Bear hunting salmon  The Alaska cruising season is nearing its end as Fall sets in, but the boats that remain are still getting quite the show. This week we had bears, orca, humpbacks, otters, sea lions, harbor porpoises, puffins, and mountain goats, along with a stunning aurora borealis display on our second to last night. Just when you think you've seen it all Alaska goes and throws a week like this at you. And if all those sightings weren't enough, we even got see some sunshine. Fall in Southeast Alaska can be pretty nice. Lunge Feeding in the fading light Synchronized Lunge Feeding Tail end of a humpback Waterfall tumbling out of the spruce trees Two brown bears working the river Lamplugh Glacier

   I would have never guessed that my welcome back to Alaska would include close bear enconters, several pods of orca, some lingering humpback whales, and a beautiful display of the Northern Lights!  I was awoken early in the morning, around one am, to the voice of one of our deckhands quietly waking me up for the northern lights. Then he said they would like me to make the announcement to everyone over the loudspeaker to wake everyone else up. So I conjured up my most melodic, middle of the night voice and told everyone to get their butts outside! The light show started off pretty beautiful but got better and better and the morning went on. Some of my best pictures came around 2:30am after almost everyone had gone back to bed.   This was only my second time seeing the Northern Lights and it was just as incredible as the first time. We were so lucky to get a rare clear night at a time with the lights were visible. Lets hope that luck continues for my last thr...