Jenny Lynne's Journal: Day Fifteen

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Day Fifteen - Seward pt 2

Saturday June 7th 2008
Part 2: Resurrection Bay & Return to Anchorage

I don’t have enough adjectives to describe the trip out onto the ocean, we saw so many things. What has stayed with me is the raucous sound and sheer number of puffins nesting on the cliffs and flying through the air; the sound of the glacier calving ice into the bay; the sight of so many baby seals on the icebergs; the pod of orcas swimming together; the sight of a humpback whale breaching. I had never seen a humpback whale do that before. The first black bear was spotted by the captain, it was on the shore digging barnacles out for dinner. I spotted the second black bear when I was scanning the mountain trying to identify seagulls. There was a big round black rock, no wait, it was a bear eating seagull eggs. I think it was Arlene who first alerted us to the mountain goats, looking like white fluffy bits on the rocks of the mountain. She is also the one that pointed out the ping-pong balls in the trees. Each one of those myriad ping-pong balls was a bald eagle, astounding. We talked and looked and looked and looked and it was wondrous.

This guy was very generous, he had brought a supply of eyeglass wipes and was willing to share. I certainly needed it as the spray from the sea and the drizzle of rain kept mucking up my glasses. Another passenger that I will call garrulous girl was from New York. She works as a self-employed researcher and was very talky, kinda fun though.

Image: Orca fin

After several hours I did have to go into the cabin and get warm. There was another point when headache came and flattened me and my ability to be anything but grumpy. This passed soon and I was back to loving everything. Arlene has both before and after photos of my moods.

On our way back to port the crew made us warm chocolate chip cookies. This cruise was definitely the highlight of our trip north. Arlene gifted us with this trip and we are very grateful.

Upon debarking we headed into town for food! Arlene led us to the Apollo restaurant http://www.apollorestaurantak.com/ and its exquisite cuisine. The food was heavenly, Arlene and I split an order of fish and chips (fresh halibut) and another order of pasta. Nick ordered the baked halibut stuffed with crab, shrimp and scallops wrapped in phyllo dough. I promise that if you ever need a restaurant recommendation and Arlene gives you one, you won't regret going.

After we were completely stuffed we went shopping for a few more souvenirs and then got in the car and headed out again. It was a long and very exciting day.

Image: Birds nesting on cliff, one of the many places that were packed with birds.

Receipts
Once in a Blue Moose (souvenirs) – Seward AK
Apollo Restaurant – Seward AK

Wildlife & Birds:

Pacific Loon
Double Crested Cormorant
Red Faced Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant

Brant Goose
Long Tailed Duck (Oldsquaw)
Mew Gull
Glaucous Winged Gull
Glaucous Gulls
Black Legged Kittiwake
Common Murre
Thick Billed Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Kittlitz's Murrelet

Rinocerous Auklet
Horned Puffin
Tufted Puffin
Canada Geese
Robins
Northwestern Crows
Rock Doves
Magpies
Ravens
Robins

Image: Grizzly bears heading across the gravel river bed towards the mountain. They're the roundish brown things on the left side of the photo. Click on the picture for larger versions.