click to enlargeAnother day in Paradise…or Seward, Alaska. Camping on the Gulf of Alaska in Resurrection Bay couldn’t be nicer. You wouldn’t want to swim in the 47-degree water, but it is beautiful nonetheless. Looking across the bay you see snow capped mountains. THIS is Alaska.
We boarded the Glacier Explorer catamaran this morning and the boat departed promptly at 8:00 AM. Our trip would cover 127 miles. On board was a National Park naturalist who narrated and commentated throughout
the day. Extremely knowledgeable and not overly talkative, he did an excellent job of detailing the science of the trip. He explained glaciers, fjords, global warming and other interesting pieces of information related to endangered species and the general habitat of marine life in Alaska. We were boating through the Kenai Fjords National Park. This was named a national park in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter.
The first three hours were spent traveling to the Holgate Glacier, while searching for birds and other wild life. The captain clearly knew the 
territory and led us to places where wildlife would be prevalent.
First up was a school of Dall’s Porpoises. They were playful and teasing. We were unable to get close enough to get more than a record shot. Next
up was a mother and baby Humpback Whale. The cow and her calf were again playful and entertained the crowd with diving and spouting. We were pleased when the mother and then the baby gave us a “fluke”. The fluke is when whales lift their tails out of the water as they are beginning
to dive.
Our next wildlife treat was a rookery where Guillemot were resting. They lay their eggs on bare rock, horizontal cracks or crevices. They are the deepest diving sea bird that can still fly.
Just around the corner was rock
where Steller Sea Lions sunned themselves. They didn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere and seemed to enjoy being photographed.
We also saw Horned and Tufted Puffins, as well as Harbor Seals. It was tough to get quality images of the creatures, but just seeing them in their natural habitat and not a zoo was indeed a treat. It was refreshing to hear
the naturalist emphasize the boat company’s policy of not getting so close to the wildlife as to scare them or injure their surroundings. You hear stories about “cowboys” compromising nature in search of a shot and it saddens you.
Our main destination for the day was Holgate Glacier. 500 feet tall, this wall of ice was stunning. As we approached it, the weather and water temperature changed intensely. The wind became intense and extremely 
cold. The water temperature dropped to 37 degrees, as evidenced by the ice floating in the water. Thoughts of the Titanic went through my mind, but were quickly replaced with the thrill of the approaching glacier. Holgate Glacier is part of the Harding Icefield (named after President 
Warren Harding). The relationship between icefields and glaciers is like the relationship between lakes and rivers. Icefields are like lakes and glaciers are like rivers. The Harding Icefield is a big portion of the Kenai Peninsula. Holgate is just one glacier coming from the icefield. We watched the glacier for thirty minutes. During that time we heard enormous crashes, sounding like cannons. We waited with great anticipation for a massive wall of ice to tumble into the water. While we did enjoy two small falls of ice, there was no huge fall to be had. We could not complain, however as the glacier is an incredible sight. Next to Holgate Glacier was another, smaller glacier called, Surprise 
Glacier. Not as breathtaking as Holgate, it was still a sight to see.
After our thirty-minute stare down with the glacier, it was time to begin our return trip. We leisurely traveled back through the glacial waters,
moving through depths up to 1,000 feet. Upon our return to the harbor, we once again saw fishermen hang their catches proudly on the docks.
After a bit of a rest, we decided to head out to a driving portion of the Kenai Fjord National Park. This portion is called Exit Glacier. If you are willing to walk a “moderately difficult” 1.25-mile trail (defined by the National Park) you are treated to an up close and personal look at a glacier. There is no doubt that this glacier is receding, as are most. As you walk along the trail there are markers illustrating where the glacier 
had been in years past. Over the past ninety years, the glacier has receded considerably. There are chains preventing over zealous hikers from climbing on the glacier. It is melting and there is danger of pieces falling. 
Just as earlier in the day at Holgate Glacier, as we neared Exit Glacier the wind speed increased dramatically and the temperature dropped significantly. Mother Nature has to do something to try and keep these glaciers intact!
What a beautiful day we have spent in Alaska. Every day and every place seems to bring us new scenes and new adventures. Tomorrow, we plan to head to Homer, on the other side of the Kenai Peninsula. As a crow flies, it is only seventy miles. But remember, we are in Alaska with limited, very limited highways. It will be a 140-mile trip to get there.
We boarded the Glacier Explorer catamaran this morning and the boat departed promptly at 8:00 AM. Our trip would cover 127 miles. On board was a National Park naturalist who narrated and commentated throughout
the day. Extremely knowledgeable and not overly talkative, he did an excellent job of detailing the science of the trip. He explained glaciers, fjords, global warming and other interesting pieces of information related to endangered species and the general habitat of marine life in Alaska. We were boating through the Kenai Fjords National Park. This was named a national park in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter.
The first three hours were spent traveling to the Holgate Glacier, while searching for birds and other wild life. The captain clearly knew the 
territory and led us to places where wildlife would be prevalent.First up was a school of Dall’s Porpoises. They were playful and teasing. We were unable to get close enough to get more than a record shot. Next
up was a mother and baby Humpback Whale. The cow and her calf were again playful and entertained the crowd with diving and spouting. We were pleased when the mother and then the baby gave us a “fluke”. The fluke is when whales lift their tails out of the water as they are beginning
to dive.Our next wildlife treat was a rookery where Guillemot were resting. They lay their eggs on bare rock, horizontal cracks or crevices. They are the deepest diving sea bird that can still fly.
Just around the corner was rock
where Steller Sea Lions sunned themselves. They didn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere and seemed to enjoy being photographed.We also saw Horned and Tufted Puffins, as well as Harbor Seals. It was tough to get quality images of the creatures, but just seeing them in their natural habitat and not a zoo was indeed a treat. It was refreshing to hear
the naturalist emphasize the boat company’s policy of not getting so close to the wildlife as to scare them or injure their surroundings. You hear stories about “cowboys” compromising nature in search of a shot and it saddens you.
Our main destination for the day was Holgate Glacier. 500 feet tall, this wall of ice was stunning. As we approached it, the weather and water temperature changed intensely. The wind became intense and extremely 
cold. The water temperature dropped to 37 degrees, as evidenced by the ice floating in the water. Thoughts of the Titanic went through my mind, but were quickly replaced with the thrill of the approaching glacier. Holgate Glacier is part of the Harding Icefield (named after President 
Warren Harding). The relationship between icefields and glaciers is like the relationship between lakes and rivers. Icefields are like lakes and glaciers are like rivers. The Harding Icefield is a big portion of the Kenai Peninsula. Holgate is just one glacier coming from the icefield. We watched the glacier for thirty minutes. During that time we heard enormous crashes, sounding like cannons. We waited with great anticipation for a massive wall of ice to tumble into the water. While we did enjoy two small falls of ice, there was no huge fall to be had. We could not complain, however as the glacier is an incredible sight. Next to Holgate Glacier was another, smaller glacier called, Surprise 
Glacier. Not as breathtaking as Holgate, it was still a sight to see.After our thirty-minute stare down with the glacier, it was time to begin our return trip. We leisurely traveled back through the glacial waters,
moving through depths up to 1,000 feet. Upon our return to the harbor, we once again saw fishermen hang their catches proudly on the docks.
After a bit of a rest, we decided to head out to a driving portion of the Kenai Fjord National Park. This portion is called Exit Glacier. If you are willing to walk a “moderately difficult” 1.25-mile trail (defined by the National Park) you are treated to an up close and personal look at a glacier. There is no doubt that this glacier is receding, as are most. As you walk along the trail there are markers illustrating where the glacier 
had been in years past. Over the past ninety years, the glacier has receded considerably. There are chains preventing over zealous hikers from climbing on the glacier. It is melting and there is danger of pieces falling. 
Just as earlier in the day at Holgate Glacier, as we neared Exit Glacier the wind speed increased dramatically and the temperature dropped significantly. Mother Nature has to do something to try and keep these glaciers intact!What a beautiful day we have spent in Alaska. Every day and every place seems to bring us new scenes and new adventures. Tomorrow, we plan to head to Homer, on the other side of the Kenai Peninsula. As a crow flies, it is only seventy miles. But remember, we are in Alaska with limited, very limited highways. It will be a 140-mile trip to get there.
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