05 November 2015

From the Wayback Machine: Wildlife Cruise in Resurrection Bay, Alaska

From 2009:




Our ship departed Seward at 12:30, and began a five-hour, 55-mile round trip of Resurrection Bay and out into the Gulf of Alaska.

It was overcast and gloomy when we started out, but both daughters insisted that outside was the only place to be. There is assigned seating at the tables in the two main cabins, but they quickly heated up from the steam tables and body heat. Outside was indeed the 'place to be.'

The air was chilly once we picked up speed, outside of the harbor's breakwater. The seas were mostly calm, but the ship (125' in length) did a lot of pitching and rolling due to the rising tide and eddies from other vessels' wakes. I discovered with gratitude that I still have my sea legs, even though my Navy days were many moons ago. Most of the other passengers staggered and lurched from place to place, when they dared to let go of the railing. It wasn't that bad (speaking as an old sea dog) but I was surrounded by landlubbers!

I know you're waiting for the photos, so I won't try to narrate much. Along the route, we saw sea otters, kittiwakes, Common Murres, puffins, mountain goats, bald eagles, Dall's porpoises, Steller sea lions, and humpback whales.

The otters and porpoises managed to avoid the camera, although we got a few seconds of porpoise activity on movie film (to be uploaded later). The humpbacks were remarkably camera-shy, but I do have one vidcap to share.

My 13-year-old daughter insisted on taking the pictures, and did a good job.

Enough talk: enjoy!











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