Today was Alaska on steroids. The sublimity of one of the wildest lands on Earth. Action, drama, and jubilation. It did not begin, however, with the proverbial bang. Rather, we rose in the morning to steady drizzle as we worked our way into Tracy Arm. Steep-sided fjord cliffs plunged into icy water and bergs dotted the way as we approached the South Sawyer Glacier.
Post-breakfast we loaded into the DIBs and glided across silt-laden water to come face to face with the glacier. Brilliantly turquoise, the ice beckoned us closer, and the boats picked their way through bergy bits, growlers, and brash. Harbor seals basked on the ice, some incredibly pregnant females looking like they were ready to pop. Pups watched us with big black eyes, occasionally rocked by waves from calving ice. White thunder echoed around the fjord as huge ice chunks peeled off the face of the glacier.
And then, it happened: larger and larger pieces of ice calved from the glacier, layer upon layer sheared clear of the face, and finally, in the midst of spray and flocking gulls, came a shooter like no other shooter. Intoxicatingly blue, like a submarine Godzilla rising from the deep, higher and higher until its ponderous mega-ton weight brought it to rest on the surface. Beside it, another shooter swelled from the water, ballooning into the air, water gushing from its sides. People were shouting, screaming, shrieking; shutters frantically clicked, backs were slapped in glee, and the naturalists were rendered speechless (an unusual occurrence). The giant blue bergs rushed from the glacier, and ice packed up quickly as the boats wisely exited the scene.
Afternoon brought a photo presentation from photo instructor Rich Reid, and a renegade black bear called us out on deck. The sun even considered coming out. A variety of activities awaited us at Williams Cove – photo walks, nature hikes, kayaking and an adventurous bush whack. Excitement reached new heights when a brown bear was spotted near the hikers, and everyone was treated to thrilling views of the bear wandering unabashed down the beach.
The evening concluded with a fine dinner and inspiring photo presentation by National Geographic photographer Jay Dickman.
