William’s Cove and Dawes Glacier
Early in the morning two brown bears grazed along the far end of William’s Cove as our ship slowly approached. One seemed more skittish and kept looking around, then disappeared into the alders while the other continued feeding. Light sprinkles from an overcast sky didn’t dampen our spirits as most of us set out to explore by both hiking and kayaking. Those gliding along on the water watched hundreds of surf scoters loaf near the shoreline as others dove repeatedly. A humpback whale cruised into and out of the bay, unconcerned by our activities. The blows hung in the quiet air like campfire smoke.
Hikers explored the forest trails and surrounding vegetation. Impressive tracks of bruins were pressed into the mud along the path. You know you’re really on vacation when you stand for a few minutes peering into the olive-colored strands of young grasses imbedded with barnacle fragments in a large pile produced by a passing bear. Some of the hikers climbed up to a series of beaver ponds between lateral moraines. The drizzle stopped and blue patches of sky brightened the rest of the day.
Our early afternoon was spent following Endicott Arm, a fault line that continues south as the fiord turns southeast to end in the Dawes Glacier. The walls grew higher and steeper, and the scenery became progressively more beautiful as we neared the ice. We boarded Zodiacs to play amongst the bergie bits and photograph the ice as it broke free and tumbled down the 200-foot-high glacial face. One calving event included a large shooter, ice that breaks free from below and erupts at waterline with water pouring off the surfacing mass like some white monster from below. The end of the fiord has incredible scenery that includes 3000-foot-high granite walls, snowy peaks with avalanche paths all the way to the ocean and waterfalls, one featured in today’s photograph. Over 20 mountain goats were found, including one with a newborn. Harbor seals were hauled out on icebergs and, Arctic terns flew about a rocky nesting area. The day was so full it seemed like several.
Early in the morning two brown bears grazed along the far end of William’s Cove as our ship slowly approached. One seemed more skittish and kept looking around, then disappeared into the alders while the other continued feeding. Light sprinkles from an overcast sky didn’t dampen our spirits as most of us set out to explore by both hiking and kayaking. Those gliding along on the water watched hundreds of surf scoters loaf near the shoreline as others dove repeatedly. A humpback whale cruised into and out of the bay, unconcerned by our activities. The blows hung in the quiet air like campfire smoke.
Hikers explored the forest trails and surrounding vegetation. Impressive tracks of bruins were pressed into the mud along the path. You know you’re really on vacation when you stand for a few minutes peering into the olive-colored strands of young grasses imbedded with barnacle fragments in a large pile produced by a passing bear. Some of the hikers climbed up to a series of beaver ponds between lateral moraines. The drizzle stopped and blue patches of sky brightened the rest of the day.
Our early afternoon was spent following Endicott Arm, a fault line that continues south as the fiord turns southeast to end in the Dawes Glacier. The walls grew higher and steeper, and the scenery became progressively more beautiful as we neared the ice. We boarded Zodiacs to play amongst the bergie bits and photograph the ice as it broke free and tumbled down the 200-foot-high glacial face. One calving event included a large shooter, ice that breaks free from below and erupts at waterline with water pouring off the surfacing mass like some white monster from below. The end of the fiord has incredible scenery that includes 3000-foot-high granite walls, snowy peaks with avalanche paths all the way to the ocean and waterfalls, one featured in today’s photograph. Over 20 mountain goats were found, including one with a newborn. Harbor seals were hauled out on icebergs and, Arctic terns flew about a rocky nesting area. The day was so full it seemed like several.
