The twelve hour tour...

Cathy and I took a day-long boat tour to Tracy Arm fjord located about 45 miles south of Juneau. It is a rather remarkable place with the fjord approximately 30 miles long. Icebergs of all sizes (and all shades of amazing blues) were floating in the water as the boat made its way up the passage.

The views throughout the entire channel were quite spectacular.  The striations and carvings of eons of glacial activity was obvious and the steep mountainsides added to the geological snapshot.

When we left Juneau the clouds were hanging low, but as we headed further south the sun slowly appeared.  Despite the sun, there was still a significant change in temperature (even I ended up wearing two coats) as the boat made its way up the channel towards the glacier. We were able to experience some fantastic calving at the glaciers.  The captain cut the engines and we floated just off the edge of the accumulated ice about three-quarters of a mile from the glacier.  One of the calvings was rather large and created a deceivingly large wave that slowly made it to the boat.  I was (and I believe many others on board were also) rather surprised at how much water the calving displaced.

The shades of blue were amazing.  The water was a deep aqua that, until now, I would have only associated with waters in the Caribbean. 

The blues in the glacier are more prevalent just after calving and the icebergs soon become white as they frost over.

We also saw plenty of wildlife.  A mountain goat and her young one were a constant (at a bit of a distance, the white blips in the center) during our time in front of Sawyer Glacier.  It was at this moment when I developed a serious case of lens envy as some of the other photographers on the boat whipped out their rather large lenses and were able to zoom in on the distant goats. However, what I lacked in clarity, I would like to think I made up in shots of ideal goat habitat. Nice rocks...right?

I have been trying to get a decent picture of a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) since I have been here and finally succeeded with this immature eagle.

I also saw my first pigeon guillemots (Cepphus columba).  Neat birds in the auk family (includes puffins, auklets, murrelets) with feet that are bright red. They nest in crevices along vertical rock surfaces that were prevalent on this trip.

On the way out of the fjord we came across a sow black bear (Ursus americanus) and her cub busy eating something along the rocky shore.  The sow didn't mind the numerous eyes staring at her but the cub wasn't as confiding and soon scurried up the steep rocks with mom in tow.

 

One of my goals this trip was to take numerous pictures; something I have managed to avoid throughout my life.  My friend Rob was kind enough (and, quite frankly, rather brave) to lend me his camera package for the summer.  I am trying to get to know the intricacies of photography but am finding safety in numbers.  I think it is safe to say I have taken more pictures in the last month than my entire life prior - nearly one-thousand on this day alone. Of those nearly one-thousand, I took sixty-nine of this very willing and photogenic harbor seal (Phoca vitulina).