Monday, June 19th - Cruising in Seward:

I booked a glacier/wildlife cruise with Kenai Fjords Tours for Donna and I. While we were cruising and looking for wildlife, Steve was out fishing with a charter out of the military resort. Our cruise was for 9 hours, and in that nine hours we traveled from Seward to Northwestern Glacier - 150 miles roundtrip.

We were picked up at the resort at 8am sharp. The ship left at 9:15am. It wasn't as full as it was when I went with Diane last year, and it certainly wasn't as cold. The sun was already high above us and warming the air nicely. We didn't bother wearing long underwear tops, but I packed them just in case. We also packed rain gear just in case. If it got too cold, the raincoats would at least keep the wind off of us.

We shared a bench seat with a couple who were disembarking on Fox Island - a scheduled stop early in our cruise. Their plans included a kayaking trip, and they were both novices. Steve's been wanting to try some kayaking too, but I'm afraid to. I don't like water over my head unless I'm in a sea-worthy vessel - and that doesn't mean a boat that can flip upside down if you shift your weight too much.

As always, most of the passengers were visitors to Alaska, and when a few overheard me talking to Donna and determined that I was a local, they asked me some questions. One young man wanted to know how cold it was in Seward in the winter months. I couldn't help him with that, as Steve and I tend to become Fairbanks/North Pole hermits in the winter months. Perhaps someday we will make the trip to Seward during the winter months just to see how it is.

One of our first sightings (besides sea birds), was a sea otter. I just adore these furry creatures! They look so relaxed as they float on their backs in the water. I learned something about otters that I didn't know before. Did you know that their fur/skin is loose so that they can reach every square inch of it for cleaning? It's important that they keep their coat clean or they will lose their ability to retain heat.

One of the most amazing sights was a humpback cow and her calf, swimming alongside each other, blowing air and diving together. The cow swam almost on top of the water, with her mouth open, to catch the krill and other small fish in the Gulf of Alaska. The captain asssumed that this was the same cow that he has senn frequently, as she appears to be the only one with this odd way of feeding. It was quite the sight to see!

We later saw sea lions sunbathing on a rocky outcropping. There were many pups laying amongst the cows and bulls. I love going on excursions and long drives at this time of year, as there are many babies (both on land and at sea) to be seen. We also got to see the glacier calve, although not as large a chunk fell off as last year, when Diane and I went (which is a good thing).

We had a great trip, and despite the periods of chilliness (when the wind was blowing right at us), it was an otherwise awesome day. These photos tell the story:

Sea Otter	Sea Otter	Marathon Mountain Race Path	Harbor Seal
		Humpback Whale	Humpback Whale
	Glacier and Ice	Harbor Seals	Harbor Seals
Humpback Whale	Humpback Whale	Cataract Cove
Humpback Whale	Humpback Whale	Humpback Whale	Humpback Whale
Sea Lions	Sea Lions	Puffin	Sea Lions
Sea Lion	Puffin	Nice Ride	Glacier

After the wildlife cruise, and Steve's fishing excursion (he caught two more halibut), we all went downtown to have dinner at Cristos. The meal was delicious and filling. We decided to make a stop at the marina so Donna could get a few more photos before turning in for the night. We were all exhausted.

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