Welcome back sportsfans...to Part 2 - you may have noticed that I was unable to make the video work...I'll keep at it over the next few days to see if I can get it right...stay tuned!
Now. This day was AMAZING. It was the day I did the Northwestern Fjord Tour with Kenai Fjords Tours, out of Seward. OMG, it was more than a cruise, it was really an opportunity to see Alaska on the water - we saw Orcas, a Fin Whale (the second largest whale in the world), Dall Porpoises, Puffins (and a heap of other birds, but as I find birds more than a little boring, I can't remember the others!), Harbour Seals, Stellar Sea Lions, and the most wonderfullly wonderful Sea Otters. All that in 9 hours.
The trip took us from Seward, down Resurrection Bay, into the Gulf of Alaska, around the Chiswell Islands, through the Granite Passage, and up into the Northwestern Fjord, which is home to many glaciers, including the famous Northwestern Glacier.
I won't rave on any more about the local beauty, the amazing sea life, the over-the-top majesty of the mountains...I've already done that, and it's probably getting a little boring by now. All I will say is that this place just never ceases to gobsmack me - more than any other place I've ever been.
I'll let the pics above speak for themselves. Some of them are mine and some are RV Man's - thanks again RV Man - in fact, to be honest, now that I think about it, most are from RV Man - trying to capture the Orcas as they surfaced with my camera was a little frustrating (the boat heard a few choice aussie swear words, let me tell you - all part of a good cultural exchange I suppose!). The pic of the single whale is the Fin Whale, and it was the Captain's first sighting of a Fin Whale this year - YAHOOOOO!!!
For me, though, the cutest thing I saw all day were the Sea Otters. I suspect I was a Sea Otter in another life. They spend their life floating around the water on their back - they have the densest fur on earth, allowing it to trap oxygen and keep them afloat, they just float all day on their back, chatting and playing with each other. The pic of the Sea Otters you see above is actually a Mum and her pup, the pup is actually sitting on her tummy and they float together, sort of like a tandem float! It was sooooooooooooooo cute!
I think the other really cute pic is the one there of the family of Stellar Sea Lions - Papa Sea Lion, Mumma Sea Lion, and cutey pie Baby Sea Lion - it was magic to see them together like that. Now I believe ol' Papa Sea Lion is a bit of a ladies man - he gets to mark out his territory, attract the ladies...and he's in control of that area, and all the females in it! Hmmmmmmmm.
The other wonderful thing you'll see above is the ice calving from the Northwestern Glacier - RV Man was able to capture the ice as it crashed into the sea - it's called "calving" when ice falls from a glacier...you hear a very loud bang or crack and then the crashing sound...quite amazing!
So, ladies and gents...enjoy the pics - I'll let them speak for themselves.
Oh, and never fear gastronomes, I know I have sold this as a food blog - and I have digressed a little since being in Alaska, but I feel we are about to get back on track very soon!
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