Tracy Arm & Williams Cove
We began our exploration of Southeast Alaska in one of its most spectacular parts. In this intensely glaciated part of the world, nearly every body of water is a fjord, but for astonishing topography, few places can match Tracy Arm. This is because ice, an extraordinary sculptor, here had the finest material on which to work – granite and similar rocks resist erosion, and so form especially steep walls.
The day was brilliantly clear as we made our way up Tracy Arm, but by breakfast, we encountered a surprise – icebergs choked the water much farther down the fjord than we had ever seen before. Nevertheless, we dropped Zodiacs, hoping to see the glaciers despite the obstruction.
Sure enough, our nimble Zodiacs were able to negotiate the icy maze, their propellors chopping ice only to a reasonable degree. We found icebergs of every size and shape. Some were diminutive, almost cute, some were imposing and architectural, others resembled a corroded landscape. But as we neared the Sawyer Glacier we found true monsters. These were bergs not born with the expected splash and boom, but by submarine calving, a process that might be called gentle but for its inexorable force and scale. These were bergs upon which one might build a decent-sized house. Best of all, because they were newly-calved, they were blue of a most astonishing shade. Imagine a chunk of evening sky fallen into the sea, imagine a floating sapphire of unearthly size. And nearby rose the frigid ramparts of the Sawyer Glacier.
Though extraordinary and somewhat forbidding to our eyes, this icy world is merely home to many creatures. Hummingbirds buzzed our boats, hoping that a red hat was the biggest flower ever. Terns traversed the fjord in buoyant and exuberant flight. Seals sprawled comfortably on crystalline beds, or eyed us curiously from the chilly water.
Seals enter Tracy Arm for protection, and later in the day we found what they hope to avoid. Lee, our Expedition Leader, spotted killer whales! We turned the ship and followed the whales long enough to make some surmises about their lives. Killer whales on the Northwest Coast come in two different flavors – some are dedicated piscivores, favoring king salmon, others prefer a hot meal, and chase seals and porpoises. These whales were in a small group and spent much time underwater. They were quite likely planning a rendezvous with an unlucky seal.
At last, in the late afternoon we anchored in Williams Cove. Soon our Zodiacs took us ashore. Some strolled through coastal temperate rainforest, meeting hemlock and spruce, and lush-looking skunk cabbage, smelling the memorable odor of chocolate lily, and viewing bear droppings with enthusiasm. Others jumped into kayaks to paddle the placid waters of Williams Cove.
Southeast Alaska, ferny or granitic, colossal or intimate, is a rich and varied region. Our explorations today were a delightful introduction to this fascinating part of the world.
