Misty Fjords, Alaska
Late last night we crossed the Dixon Entrance leaving British Columbia behind and entering Alaska. Just over the border is Misty Fjords National Monument, one of most beautiful parks in Southeast Alaska. As we made our way into Rudyerd Bay, we were immediately surrounded by sheer granite cliffs. The fjord looks as if a section of the Yosemite Valley has been transported here, and we had to crane our necks to see the tops of the mountains rising out of the water. The similarity between the two parks is no accident as they share similar geology and they were both carved out by massive glaciers during the recent (geologically speaking) ice ages. Someone spotted a small group of mountain goats high on a cliff, so high in fact that we had to use our binoculars to make sure that the white dots we saw had legs and were moving. After an hour it looked as if we had reached the end of the fjord, but our Captain maneuvered Sea Bird through a narrow entrance that opened up into a picturesque bay.
Soon we were anchored and the crew set about getting the Zodiacs and kayaks ready. Heading out in various directions, everyone went to the place that seemed the most interesting to explore. Several of the Zodiacs and kayakers went up the river at the head of the bay trying to make it as far up as possible. Paddling silently along, the kayakers got close to a group of brilliantly colored harlequin ducks. A mink made a brief appearance running along the shoreline and then swam a short distance along a cliff face to another small beach. The weather was so surprisingly warm and sunny that the crew moved lunch to the top deck – truly a restaurant with a view!
In the afternoon we sailed up the Behm Canal on our way towards Petersburg. The big excitement for the birders was identifying all four loon species of North America in the span of an hour. Special among those were the dozen or so yellow-billed loons in full breeding plumage that will soon migrate up to the arctic tundra to nest. Our six days in Alaska are off to a great start!
Late last night we crossed the Dixon Entrance leaving British Columbia behind and entering Alaska. Just over the border is Misty Fjords National Monument, one of most beautiful parks in Southeast Alaska. As we made our way into Rudyerd Bay, we were immediately surrounded by sheer granite cliffs. The fjord looks as if a section of the Yosemite Valley has been transported here, and we had to crane our necks to see the tops of the mountains rising out of the water. The similarity between the two parks is no accident as they share similar geology and they were both carved out by massive glaciers during the recent (geologically speaking) ice ages. Someone spotted a small group of mountain goats high on a cliff, so high in fact that we had to use our binoculars to make sure that the white dots we saw had legs and were moving. After an hour it looked as if we had reached the end of the fjord, but our Captain maneuvered Sea Bird through a narrow entrance that opened up into a picturesque bay.
Soon we were anchored and the crew set about getting the Zodiacs and kayaks ready. Heading out in various directions, everyone went to the place that seemed the most interesting to explore. Several of the Zodiacs and kayakers went up the river at the head of the bay trying to make it as far up as possible. Paddling silently along, the kayakers got close to a group of brilliantly colored harlequin ducks. A mink made a brief appearance running along the shoreline and then swam a short distance along a cliff face to another small beach. The weather was so surprisingly warm and sunny that the crew moved lunch to the top deck – truly a restaurant with a view!
In the afternoon we sailed up the Behm Canal on our way towards Petersburg. The big excitement for the birders was identifying all four loon species of North America in the span of an hour. Special among those were the dozen or so yellow-billed loons in full breeding plumage that will soon migrate up to the arctic tundra to nest. Our six days in Alaska are off to a great start!
