Tag Archives: ocean

Finally Some Sun

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College Fjord GlaciersThe Land of the Midnight Sun

As we entered Collage Fjord the sun finally came out. The gray, dreary weather that had been following us since we boarded the ship finally cleared. Without the heavy, gray cloud cover we began to see why this land is known as the land of the midnight sun. Even though we were on an early spring cruise sunset at this latitude was still around 10:30 pm.

Midnight sun

What is College Fjord?

College Fjord

Believe it or not, College Fjord was even more spectacular than Glacier Bay. Maybe it was because we had sunlight and blue sky but I think it had more to do with the proximity of the glaciers. There are a lot of them here and the Fjord is more narrow than Glacier Bay. All of the glaciers here are named after a college. This is just a partial list of the glaciers that line the Fjord.

The Wildlife of College Fjord

marine mammalThere was a Naturalist on board for the cruise through College Fjord. We’d just entered the mouth of the Fjord when they announced that we could see mountain goats on the mountain sides. Although I looked like crazy I couldn’t see anything that I could say for sure were animals of any kind. We kept watch for marine mammals like whales and porpoises but only one unidentified animal showed it’s head. 

Whittier just ahead

Our Cruise ship in Whittier

After College Fjord we cruised into Whittier arriving in the morning. As soon as we finished breakfast we were off loaded. Just look at all that snow! Some of our luggage was taken to the Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage to await our return. A smaller bag of necessities for our 3 days in Denali went with us to the train. The cruise portion of our trip was over. 

 

Glacier Bay to Prince William Sound

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Magarie GlacierGrand Pacific Glacier

At the head of Glacier Bay next to the spectacular Margerie Glacier is a dirty black line of ice. This is the remains of the Grand Pacific Glacier. This granddaddy of them all is now receding at the rate of 30-60 ft per year. At one time it was this glacier that filled the area that is today Glacier Bay. As The Grand Pacific receded it left behind the U shaped trench to fill with water creating the magnificent Glacier Bay we see today.

Grand Pacific Glacier

Prince William Sound

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Grand Pacific Glacier marks the end of Glacier Bay. It was time to turn around and head out to more open sea. Prince William Sound is part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is located to the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Out here the ocean is more open. It’s not as protected as the bays and straits we’ve been traversing so far. We’ve been told to stay alert and watch for abundant wildlife. Resident marine mammals include humpback, sei, fin, minke, and killer whales as well as Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters, all of which reach some of their greatest numbers in Prince William Sound. Even land animals can be seen on the narrow beaches. Some of the most common are black bears, grizzlies, moose and mountain goats. But I wouldn’t see any of them.

 

Along with open water come the waves

By now I considered myself a seasoned cruiser. I’d never been on a ship this large that rocked. I’d even told my sister that she wouldn’t need Dramamine. But Prince William Sound did me in. Seas were running 4-6 ft. Not huge but large enough for a pronounced rocking motion. It was actually pretty gentle, up and down from peak to trough and up again. If it had been a wild ride I’d probably have been ok. My adrenaline would have kicked in. Instead this gentle up and down motion sent me heading for my bunk. I spent the afternoon napping and  fighting the nausea of sea sickness So I missed the pod of orcas that passed the ship in the middle of the sound.

Orca

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Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

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Not Just a National Park

Glacier Bay is not just a National Park. It’s also a World Heritage Site. I don’t think you can really refer to Glacier Bay as a “port of call” as there is no port. You are cruising through this huge bay surrounded by icy mountains, glaciers and ice bergs. The ice bergs were a good sign. It meant that it was warm enough to cause the glacier’s to calve, that amazing falling ice that you see on the nature shows. 

Magarie Glacier

Warm is relativeTidewater Glacier

I just said it was warm enough for the glaciers to calve. That’s not to say it was warm. It was still gray and overcast. The misty rainy weather that had been following us since Vancouver continued to be the norm. The rawness of the wind just cut through any coat you were wearing. I counted on the excitement of seeing the glaciers to keep me warm; that and running from one side of the ship to the other so I wouldn’t miss anything.

Bald Eagle on an ice floeIce Bergs and Glaciers

We maneuvered into Glacier Bay from Icy Strait, named for the abundance of ice floes. The ice floes and mini bergs bumped and rattled along the sides of the ship. We took our time so that there were no big collisions. At one point we watched an eagle sail by on one of the ice flows. The glaciers were the high point. The ice was made up of  ribbons of colors. Blues and greens abounded. 

Our Own Private Balcony

Eventually it was just too cold so we went back down to our room and settled on our balcony. That’s where I finally saw one of the glaciers calve. It was just a small piece of ice. It seemed to hover before it dropped into the ocean below. It turns out that we had a much better view from our balcony than from the top deck and we were out of the wind so it felt much warmer. 

calving Glacier

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Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami warning

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NOAA buoy detects Tsunami

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Did you hear about the Alaska Tsunami warning?

Imagine if you had been cruising when the tsunami warning came on! I was about to tell you about cruise #3 which was to Alaska but I decided I wanted to know more about the tsunami and earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska. How do these events affect a cruise ship?

Earthquake under the Sea

Its pretty interesting. If you are on a boat and there’s an earthquake near you, you won’t even notice it. Imagine a cork in a bowl of water. Tip the bowl and the cork won’t move. Same idea but the ship is the cork and the bowl the ocean. If you are tied up in port your experience might be a little different. The dock will be affected because it’s connected to the land. Since the ship is tied to the dock tie lines may jerk and the ship may bump into the pier. All that energy is being transferred to the ship.

But What about a Tsunami?

Those are pretty big waves. It would seem that they would affect the ship. Remember the movie “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972 & 2005)? That is not what is going to happen. At least not if you are out at sea. If you are on a cruise ship in the ocean you might not even notice the Tsunami! Much like the cork above, your ship will probably just ride over it.

The Shock Wave that is a Tsunami

Tsunamis can travel at speeds of 500 mph in the open sea but it isn’t a wall of  water. It’s not until it hits shallow water in a harbor or along a coast that it is compressed into a big wave. Stay away from land and you should be good. Experts say that large cruise ships probably won’t be affected even when docked because they need at least 30 ft of water which is still considered fairly deep.

Alaska’s Alert

Although everyone was evacuated from the low lying coastal areas near Kodiak, the tsunami never materialized. By 7:30 EST the alerts and warnings along the west coast were being canceled. That’s good news for all!

 

The Day has A Seal of Approval

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The Seals of Cape Cod

Nothing like spending a day with herd of gray seals in Chatham, Cape Cod. I confess I didn’t just want to see the seals. I thought there might be a small chance that I’d get a glimpse of a Great White Shark. It’s been 7 years since I’ve been back to see the seals so I figured it was about time. Of course it meant another weekend drive over one of the bridges but I was hoping I’d be going against the traffic. Turns out I was. The Sunday exodus from the Cape had route 6, the Cape Highway, backed up for miles leaving the cape.

Beachcomber Seal ToursYellow beachcomber boat

I’d called Beachcomber Seal Tours before I started for the cape. They said they had room for me on the 12 pm tour. I knew it would be close but I jumped in the car and headed off. With luck and traffic on my side I arrived with 10 minutes to spare! The folks at Beachcomber Seal Tours are very warm and welcoming. They make sure the children are fitted with life jackets and everyone gets a “pit stop” before we are all loaded onto a bus for the trip to the marina.

Chatham Light House

Chatham Harbor and waterways

The little orange boat holds about 29 people. We boarded by climbing a little step stool and stepping over the side. The captain stands at a center console to pilot the boat. It makes it a little hard to hear his commentary but the fresh sea air in your face on a sunny day is a pretty awesome way to spend a summer afternoon.

Sleeping SealSeals, seals and more seals

We passed Nauset Beach, recently the scene of a Great White sighting. As we swung toward North Beach the seals were suddenly right in front of us. They looked like they were piled on top of each other but our captain explained that each one has it place. A steady moaning sound came from the piles of seals. A few were in the water. They would rise up from the bottom and then sink back down. This is how they sleep. True enough, none of them had their eyes open!

 

Pile of seals

Before heading back we took a run past the shark buoy and Lighthouse Beach.

Shark ping buoy

 

 

Too soon it was time to return to the dock. The very successful 90 minute tour was at an end. No great whites but lots of seals.