Captivated by ICE! Tracy Arm, Southeast Alaska
Expedition leader Cindy Manning woke us early this morning with a report of Orcas beneath a blue sky. As we scrambled from our beds and stepped onto the bow, a cobalt blue iceberg commanded our attention. We searched the ocean for the telltale 6-foot dorsal fin of a male killer whale, and were thrilled to see him… and other Orcas too. But it was the icebergs that captivated us. With the promise of more ice to come, we ventured up the 25-mile-long fjord that led us to spectacular South Sawyer Glacier. As the children on board found magical shapes in the clouds, we found them in glacial ice: bergs that resembled sailing ships, swans, all manner of sea creatures, even a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
After breakfast we jumped into Zodiacs. There was so much to see: a very blue glacier, floating bergs, noisy icefalls, eagles atop towering frozen columns of ice, harbor seals on floes, and cream-colored mountain goats. It was hard to gauge size and distance in this immense landscape. The walls of the fjord extended a full mile above us, while the ocean bottom plunged more than 1,000 feet below. Big icebergs dwarfed our Zodiacs, making the outing exciting, humbling, awe-inspiring, and fun.
After lunch, we took to the kayaks, and got a closer view of small streams that became torrents, high rock walls that reached into the clouds, and a profound silence that gave us a chance to slow down and take it all in, one paddle stroke at a time. Upon leaving Tracy Arm, captain Kay had one more surprise up his mariner’s sleeve—a bow-soaking at spectacular “Hole in the Wall” waterfall. It was a fitting conclusion to an outstanding week of adventures.
How do we sum up seven days of whales, seals, otters, orcas, puffins, wolves, icefalls, forests, bears, and dozens of other moments of quiet magic? When we go home, friends might ask about our trip, and we’ll have maybe a minute or two before their busy schedules eclipse our story. That’s ok. Paraphrasing Samuel Johnson: “If one has experienced the inexpressible, he or she is under no obligation to attempt to express it.” Even if we didn’t have a single word written, or a photo to share, we’d still have a treasure of memories from Alaska. A smile, a laugh, a land made of rain, the many shades of forest green, the strength of the bear, the beauty of the salmon. Images in our hearts and minds.
