Waking up at the crack of dawn is significantly easier when the sun is shining brightly. Walking out of our cabins this morning, we almost staggered back, face-to-face with the immense sheer cliffs of the sides of Endicott Arm. Slowly wending our way among floating bergie bits of ice, we scanned for views of mountain goats and were shocked to see many interspersed among the Sitka spruce, munching on spring shoots. A rarely seen beast was evident today in southeast Alaska: guests applying sunscreen! And a good thing they did, as the sun’s rays beat down upon the decks. Boarding the inflatables, we eagerly zoomed towards Dawes glacier, which descends miles from its origin in the Stikine Ice fields. Arctic terns and kittiwakes wheeled at the base of the glacier, waiting for falling ice to disturb the sediment and bring invertebrate munchies near the surface. Marveling at the enormous chunks calving from the face of the glacier, we were distracted by odd popping sounds all around us. Ice crispies! Ploughing further on through the slightly larger growlers, we hauled one of these sizeable chunks into the inflatable to marvel at its weight and dimpled sides. A true natural work of art, but one that was significantly diminished next to its massive brethren, which loomed next to us. Knowing that the bulk of the majestic piece lay hidden beneath the water turned murky green via glacial flour merely increased our awe. Cruising around, we noted that the sediment trapped inside looked like creatures in suspended animation, waiting for the sun’s kiss of freedom to release them from their icy tomb. The deep blue of the ice was highlighted by fractured rainbows glinting and winking at us as we cruised. Exiting the fjord, curious harbor seals popped up to get a closer look, or lazily lolled into the water from their bergie bit recliners. On deck, we dripped food dye on a growler to reveal the internal crystalline structure, producing what looked like a formidable snow cone.
The afternoon held aerobic exercise for us: kayaking and hiking in Williams Cove. Gliding over serene green wavelets, we leaned back to gaze up at flocks of surf scoters and white-winged scoters winging overhead. Minute marbled murrelets bobbed under the water as we approached. We gazed up at towering Sitka spruce and western hemlocks lining the cobble beach. Plunging into the dense undergrowth of the forest, we peered into the magenta flowers of the salmonberry, mouths watering at the prospect of future luscious berries. Obviously, others had been here to forage before us: empty blue mussels shells dotted the trail, bracts of spruce cones were piled thickly next to a resting stump, and large mounds of bear scat showed that we were not the largest mammals in the area. Wandering back along the beach, we picked our way through the mounds of brown Fucus algae, tenderly tip-toeing among the mounds of barnacles. Just as our heads were nodding over dessert and we were starting to yearn for our pillows, the call went up from the bow: humpbacks! Rushing to the front of the ship, we were treated to multiple sightings of graceful flukes flipping up and slipping under the sea. Who could ask for a better ending to a fun-filled day?
The afternoon held aerobic exercise for us: kayaking and hiking in Williams Cove. Gliding over serene green wavelets, we leaned back to gaze up at flocks of surf scoters and white-winged scoters winging overhead. Minute marbled murrelets bobbed under the water as we approached. We gazed up at towering Sitka spruce and western hemlocks lining the cobble beach. Plunging into the dense undergrowth of the forest, we peered into the magenta flowers of the salmonberry, mouths watering at the prospect of future luscious berries. Obviously, others had been here to forage before us: empty blue mussels shells dotted the trail, bracts of spruce cones were piled thickly next to a resting stump, and large mounds of bear scat showed that we were not the largest mammals in the area. Wandering back along the beach, we picked our way through the mounds of brown Fucus algae, tenderly tip-toeing among the mounds of barnacles. Just as our heads were nodding over dessert and we were starting to yearn for our pillows, the call went up from the bow: humpbacks! Rushing to the front of the ship, we were treated to multiple sightings of graceful flukes flipping up and slipping under the sea. Who could ask for a better ending to a fun-filled day?
