Our first morning onboard the National Geographic Sea Lion, and there is great excitement in the air as Sheri, our expedition leader begins her announcements about the day’s activities. We are at Williams Cove and are told about the potential of hikes and kayaking in this picturesque little cove. We would have to take her word about the picturesque part, it is cloudy and the visibility is somewhat obscured, however, we are in a rainforest and one must expect a certain amount of rain. Our spirits are not dampened everyone is still excited about our first excursions. On with the various safety briefings such as a bear talk, procedures for entering and exiting the inflatable boats, and some instruction about kayaking. As we prepare to leave the ship, the wind begins to pick up and the decision to cancel kayaking is made. All of us will hike.
Our hikes, as it turns out, are the perfect introduction into the temperate rain forest that we will be exploring for the next week. We learn how unique this forest truly is and start to comprehend how special our journey will be. The plants and animals who inhabit this ecosystem have some truly remarkable adaptations, and after our time in the forests this morning, we have a good understanding of the adventure we have embarked on.
The weather throughout the day would be a good example of what Southeast Alaska is truly like. One moment sun, and the next rain, and then sun, and once again rain. It did not deter us and like all true explorers, we endure and continue our voyage of discovery. Now we were headed to Tracy Arm and South Sawyer Glacier. In route, a presentation on photography wets our appetite for the images we hope to make here in Alaska. Our path is the same one the glacier took as it carved out the fiord on which we were sailing. Large pieces of deep blue ice were becoming more numerous and we could hardly wait to see what lay ahead. Then, like a tale from the adventures of Sinbad, the great river of ice came into view. The overcast sky actually added to our experience buy intensifying the colors of the ice. Into our inflatables for some up-close viewing of icebergs and a close view of the glacier. As the sun would peer in and out, stunning rays of sun would light up the ice and made for spectacular views and photos.
The ice was not our only point of interest for as we soon learned, hundreds of harbor seals use the ice in front of the glacier to haul onto to rest. In the spring, the seals gave birth to their pups on the ice and for good reason. The face of the glacier provides a safe haven from their primary predator, the killer whales that ply these waters.
The end of our first day has come, and we are anxiously awaiting the next. The rain can dampen our clothes, but not our spirits, the adventure has just begun.
