An early wake-up call alerted us to the presence of a large group of killer whales (orcas) that were in the vicinity of Point Adolphus. This is a very rich, productive area where food is plentiful and much marine activity takes place. We were fortunate to witness a variety of behaviors from the whales, including breaching and spy-hopping. Mature males, females and smaller animals were observed in this large aggregation of the largest member of the dolphin family. They appeared to belong to a resident pod. There were also several humpback whales in the area, which seemed unconcerned with the orcas.
Most of the guests on the Sea Lion this voyage are affiliates of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and/or the American Chemical Society (ACS). Scientists have a tendency to be highly analytical, breaking geology, botany, and wildlife systems into biochemical and physical pathways - explaining away just about everything. We learn about the intricacies of each system. However, in a place like Glacier Bay National Park, we only can describe individual experiences of visitors such as ourselves with words such as "joy", "appreciation of beauty", "soothing nature", "esthetics", "complexity", "pleasing", "exciting", "overwhelming" "expansive", "splendid", and "memorable".
