Tracy Arm, Southeast Alaska
We awoke early and began our first full Alaska day with the majestic Sawyer glaciers: we slowly motored through the fjord crowded in places with icebergs “calved” off the South Sawyer Glacier towards the northern Sawyer Glacier. As we traveled, we were able to observe a number of seabirds and a harbor porpoise.
The majestic glacier-carved walls revealed to us some of the complex history of the area, stretching back millions of years. The relationship between the dark metamorphic rocks and the light igneous rocks that intruded them competed for our attention with the hanging U-shaped valleys and the rounded shapes jutting upwards as we traveled up through water milky green from glacier-ground rock flour. Once we arrived, we were treated to the “white thunder” of calving icebergs from the Sawyer Glacier. These brought home to us the remarkable speed with which this glacier, like most in Alaska and worldwide, is retreating.
In the afternoon, we cruised down to Williams Cove near the mouth of the fjord where we went on hikes to exercise and learn about the botany, geology, and wildlife of the area, and paddled kayaks in the cove to get up close to the icebergs that had floated down from the Sawyer glaciers. Although a black bear was spotted shortly before the hikes began, we didn’t see any bears close up, although we did learn about the habitat they share with the other fauna: Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock old-growth forest with an understory that includes ferns, mosses, lichens, and fungi.
After stretching ourselves out, we returned to the ship for a well-deserved dinner. During the meal, some whales were seen in the distance; a harbinger of the excellent show which was to shortly follow. Just before dessert, most of us were lured onto the bow, as first one, then two, then many more humpback whales began feeding near the surface. As we slowly and quietly motored along, these majestic mammals provided a display the likes of which few of us had seen: as close as about 30 meters from the ship at times, they repeatedly rose to the surface, spouted, and showed us their humps and tails before diving once again. Two, in particular, seemed to be swimming in synchrony much of the time. The air was warm, the sunset was beautiful, and we were literally surrounded by whales. At one point, we determined that there were at least 12 within easy sight of the ship. The feeding activity continued for over an hour, all told, and I think some of us might have sprained our “shutter finger” taking so many pictures.Interestingly, humpback whales have distinctive markings on their flukes (tails). By comparing photos showing the markings on the flukes of one of the synchronized swimmers to a reference book on board, we were able to determine who he (?) was. In the catalog published by the University of Alaska Southeast, this whale is number 0069. The whale images began to be taken and catalogued in 1979, so the low identification number suggests that this particular whale has been sighted in this area for at least twenty years.
All in all, this was the perfect conclusion to a great first Alaskan day.
We awoke early and began our first full Alaska day with the majestic Sawyer glaciers: we slowly motored through the fjord crowded in places with icebergs “calved” off the South Sawyer Glacier towards the northern Sawyer Glacier. As we traveled, we were able to observe a number of seabirds and a harbor porpoise.
The majestic glacier-carved walls revealed to us some of the complex history of the area, stretching back millions of years. The relationship between the dark metamorphic rocks and the light igneous rocks that intruded them competed for our attention with the hanging U-shaped valleys and the rounded shapes jutting upwards as we traveled up through water milky green from glacier-ground rock flour. Once we arrived, we were treated to the “white thunder” of calving icebergs from the Sawyer Glacier. These brought home to us the remarkable speed with which this glacier, like most in Alaska and worldwide, is retreating.
In the afternoon, we cruised down to Williams Cove near the mouth of the fjord where we went on hikes to exercise and learn about the botany, geology, and wildlife of the area, and paddled kayaks in the cove to get up close to the icebergs that had floated down from the Sawyer glaciers. Although a black bear was spotted shortly before the hikes began, we didn’t see any bears close up, although we did learn about the habitat they share with the other fauna: Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock old-growth forest with an understory that includes ferns, mosses, lichens, and fungi.
After stretching ourselves out, we returned to the ship for a well-deserved dinner. During the meal, some whales were seen in the distance; a harbinger of the excellent show which was to shortly follow. Just before dessert, most of us were lured onto the bow, as first one, then two, then many more humpback whales began feeding near the surface. As we slowly and quietly motored along, these majestic mammals provided a display the likes of which few of us had seen: as close as about 30 meters from the ship at times, they repeatedly rose to the surface, spouted, and showed us their humps and tails before diving once again. Two, in particular, seemed to be swimming in synchrony much of the time. The air was warm, the sunset was beautiful, and we were literally surrounded by whales. At one point, we determined that there were at least 12 within easy sight of the ship. The feeding activity continued for over an hour, all told, and I think some of us might have sprained our “shutter finger” taking so many pictures.Interestingly, humpback whales have distinctive markings on their flukes (tails). By comparing photos showing the markings on the flukes of one of the synchronized swimmers to a reference book on board, we were able to determine who he (?) was. In the catalog published by the University of Alaska Southeast, this whale is number 0069. The whale images began to be taken and catalogued in 1979, so the low identification number suggests that this particular whale has been sighted in this area for at least twenty years.
All in all, this was the perfect conclusion to a great first Alaskan day.
