Endicott Arm and Cruising for Wildlife
We were treated this morning to typical Alaskan weather… layered clouds of varying shades of gray, misting and sprinkling their moisture into the air. During the night, the National Geographic Sea Bird had brought us south through Stephen’s Passage, entered Holkham Bay, and begun heading up Endicott Arm, part of the majestic Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. We spent the morning wending our way through various colors, shapes and sizes of ice, looking for wildlife as we headed toward the face of Dawes Glacier. The clouds began to lift as the Zodiacs were lowered from the Lido Deck and we tumbled onto the 200-level aft deck bundled up in layers, ready for the day’s adventures.
Pfft! Pfft. pfft. Dall’s porpoises!! It’s 9:43 p.m. and we’ve had such a full day I am just now sitting down to write. The porpoises keep drawing my attention outside, where the sun streaks orange behind the distant mountains. Pfft… pfft . Pfft. We love you, Dall’s porpoises!
It’s late, we’re tired, and full of the joys and wonders of Southeast Alaska. The treats that delighted us today: icebergs, bergy bits and growlers (oh my); mountain goats; a black bear and her cub; scatterings of harbor seals stretched out on the ice; more black bears!; calving glacier; curious harbor seals turning their sweet yet haunting eyes towards us; more glacier calving with loud claps of white thunder, big splashes and huge waves that rocked our Zodiacs; gorgeous sunshine with smatterings of cloud layers; humpback whales feeding, diving, and calf slapping the water.
That would have been enough for a week, right? But Stephen’s Passage had more treasures to reveal–during dinner killer whales appeared in the distance, off the bow. We brought dessert and coffee up to the deck and watched as the sun melted behind the mountains, light sparkling off the evening air, dorsal fins surfacing and disappearing all around us. Were they resident or transient killer whales, the Naturalists pondered. Mother Nature provided the answer. Pfft…. Pfft. Pfft. Dall’s porpoises at 9:00! White splashes bursting through the surface as half a dozen or more Dall’s porpoises swam toward the killer whales and our ship. Dall’s porpoises are a favorite meal for transient killer whales. We watched with held breath, excitement mounting. The porpoises swam circles around the largest male killer whale – right in front of him! And lived. Residents.
The killer whales have moved on, yet the Dall’s porpoises continue to play around the National Geographic Sea Bird. Slowly people drift to their cabins, saturated with the day’s events. This was Day One of our expedition. Wow!
