Dawes Glacier
The first morning of a trip can set a mood for many days to come. We always hope for spectacular weather, cloudless skies and water so calm that you can see the grandeur doubled by the reflections. It’s also best to add something exciting to this mix. That is exactly how this day began. Our expedition leader calmly announced an early wake up call in a gentle and soothing voice. She really wanted to scream “Killer whales are everywhere around the ship. Get out here as soon as you can!” About 7 to 10 resident orcas were erratically chasing fish, turning sharply, bursting into short speedy chases, and slapping the water like the one in today’s photo. This percussive foraging can be used to frighten and manipulate fish. They also played a bit then traveled and returned to feeding. It was thrilling when they turned towards us and swam under and around the ship. The conditions for photography were ideal.
Later we found two humpbacks within Endicott Arm. The still air allowed the blows to climb much higher than usual, well over 25 feet. They were both feeding near the surface, so we were able to see and hear them frequently. There are well over a thousand humpback whales that use Southeast Alaska for feeding on krill and schooling fish. Steller sea lions foraged in the area as well, possibly on the same prey.
On our way to Dawes Glacier, we stopped at the entrance to Ford’s Terror. Many birds were taking advantage of the nutrient-filled water pouring out of this side fiord. We later poked into another bay where a black bear walked along the beach. It decided to lie down next to a rock for a snooze, a good idea if you were wearing a thick black coat on a hot day like this. Across the meadow behind the bear were two mountain goats. We could see only one until they later climbed up a nearby ridge, and the nanny had a young kid running along behind.
Zodiac tours left after lunch for us to get a closer look at the glacier and its icebergs and to gawk at the granite walls that towered thousands of feet above us. The rock is so resistant to erosion that it is like the mile-high mass of ice that carved this cathedral was here just yesterday. One of the best calving events was when a massive piece of ice broke free from below. Its buoyancy caused the entire mass to surface. Water poured off of it and it seemed to just keep coming up and getting larger and larger. These chunks of ice are called shooters and are not often seen. Our day contained some of the best sights in the best weather Southeast Alaska has to offer.
The first morning of a trip can set a mood for many days to come. We always hope for spectacular weather, cloudless skies and water so calm that you can see the grandeur doubled by the reflections. It’s also best to add something exciting to this mix. That is exactly how this day began. Our expedition leader calmly announced an early wake up call in a gentle and soothing voice. She really wanted to scream “Killer whales are everywhere around the ship. Get out here as soon as you can!” About 7 to 10 resident orcas were erratically chasing fish, turning sharply, bursting into short speedy chases, and slapping the water like the one in today’s photo. This percussive foraging can be used to frighten and manipulate fish. They also played a bit then traveled and returned to feeding. It was thrilling when they turned towards us and swam under and around the ship. The conditions for photography were ideal.
Later we found two humpbacks within Endicott Arm. The still air allowed the blows to climb much higher than usual, well over 25 feet. They were both feeding near the surface, so we were able to see and hear them frequently. There are well over a thousand humpback whales that use Southeast Alaska for feeding on krill and schooling fish. Steller sea lions foraged in the area as well, possibly on the same prey.
On our way to Dawes Glacier, we stopped at the entrance to Ford’s Terror. Many birds were taking advantage of the nutrient-filled water pouring out of this side fiord. We later poked into another bay where a black bear walked along the beach. It decided to lie down next to a rock for a snooze, a good idea if you were wearing a thick black coat on a hot day like this. Across the meadow behind the bear were two mountain goats. We could see only one until they later climbed up a nearby ridge, and the nanny had a young kid running along behind.
Zodiac tours left after lunch for us to get a closer look at the glacier and its icebergs and to gawk at the granite walls that towered thousands of feet above us. The rock is so resistant to erosion that it is like the mile-high mass of ice that carved this cathedral was here just yesterday. One of the best calving events was when a massive piece of ice broke free from below. Its buoyancy caused the entire mass to surface. Water poured off of it and it seemed to just keep coming up and getting larger and larger. These chunks of ice are called shooters and are not often seen. Our day contained some of the best sights in the best weather Southeast Alaska has to offer.
