We left the sprawling city and the rain of Anchorage on the early flight to Juneau. I seldom bother looking out of the window, but the scenery was absolutely magnificent, with snow-covered peaks piercing the puffy white clouds.
We flew over a massive ice field with glaciers reaching like fingers in all directions to the valleys below. A vast lake filled with milky, turquoise blue melt water traced the contours between the sheer black peaks. Spruce covered islands dotted the coastline. We had arrived at the famed northern most port of the Inner Passage, Juneau.
From Juneau we shared a Cessna Caravan laden with supplies for Gustavus ( Gu-stay-vus). There are 2 roads in Gustavus and neither goes very far, so the only way to reach Gustavus is by air or a private boat. Once again the scenery on the way over was magic. I even saw a whale and her calf as they surfaced blowing a huge plume of mist into the air.
The best mode of transport around town is a bicycle and fortunately for us, our B&B had an ample supply. So we hopped on and spent the afternoon touring town, the harbour and the small arty shops.
Not a great day for photography
We took an early shuttle to Glacier Bay NP, where we boarded MV Fairweather to sail from Icy Strait, approximately 65miles into the park. We cruised past South Marble Island, which was teaming with birds, but unfortunately there was very little light for photography. However, we did see Common Mure, Pelagic Cormorant, Black-winged Kittiwake, Black Oystercatcher, Sea-Otter & Tufted Puffin.
One with a beak full of Herring, returning to the nest, was really special.
Continuing further, we realized that the fantastic scenery we had experienced from the plane yesterday, was Glacier Bay.
The high mountain peaks that poked through the clouds being the Fairweather range, apparently rarely seen from the ground as they are constantly shrouded in clouds. 250 years ago Glacier Bay was completly covered in a glacier, 1mile thick. All we are seeing are the small side glaciers that have remained, the massive glacier having receded about 65miles.
Along the way we got great views of Mountain Goats with young, being large with long shaggy white coats and black recurved horns, they stand out against the grey sheer cliff face. The ewes come to these exposed areas to give birth, as it offers protection from wolves and bears.
Brown bears scour the beach at low tide, turning over large rocks looking for food. We had lunch in front of Grand Pacific Glacier, the face of which, is just inside Alaska, but will soon recede into Canada.
The day was spectacular, but having experienced glaciers and wildlife in a small boat at Resurrection bay has spoilt us, unfortunately.
A last minute decision saw us on a whale-watching cruise to Pt.Adolphus, which juts into Icy Strait a short distance from the open ocean. Currents cause zoo-plankton, herring & other small fish to well up here, making this an ideal area to view Hump-backed Whales. Having migrated from Hawaii, where they fast for summer putting all their energy into mating and giving birth, they return to feed in these cold waters.
We had hardly stopped when a pod of 10 whales surfaced right alongside the boat. Females are larger than males, being 13-15m long, whereas males are about 12-14m long and weigh between 22500 and 36000kgs.
They move gracefully through the water, taking 3 or 4 gulps of air before arching their backs & diving. They swallow huge amounts of prey through their grape fruit sized throat, needing to consume 2000lbs/day.
Thousands of sea birds join the feeding frenzy. Once again we are awed by the spectacle of nature, definitely an experience that will live with us forever.
Photos are very nice!!!Whale watchers keep a distance of more than 100m is good. More..
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