It’s
our last day in Valdez and it’s a dandy
The Route
We took a 7 hour, 80 mile journey through Prince William Sound and
got an up-close look at Columbia Glacier.
About the Day
It
was a delightful change from the past three rainy days. It was sunny all day and
in the mid-60's!
Along the Way
We selected a Stan Stephens
Glacier and Wildlife Cruise and saw lots of both. The cruise left at 11am
and returned at 6:30pm.
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| Our ride |
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| Our captain |
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| Heading out |
Entrance Island marks the entrance to Port Valdez from Valdez Arm
The Wildlife...
We saw Black-Legged Kittiwakes, Pigeon Guillemots, Bald Eagles,
Stellar Sea Lions, Humpback Whales, Sea Otters, Orcas and Harbor Seals on the
way. Though many were elusive (or we were slow), we were able to photograph some.
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| Sea Otters like to swim on their backs |
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| Come on guys. Don’t rock the boat. |
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| Yikes, it’s cold! |
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| Pigeon Guillemots |
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| This Sea Otter is dining on an octopus |
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| An Orca plays tag with the boat |
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| Humpback Whale |
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| A blow hard |
We passed Point Bull Head, off Glacier Island, on the return and
were able to see a Stellar Sea Lion haul-out. This mostly bachelor colony can
really bellow.
The Glacier ...
And then, of course, there were spectacular glaciers and cascading
waterfalls ... you know, the kind of things we see every day in Ohio. We passed
Shoup Glacier and Anderson Glacier on the way to Columbia Bay and Columbia
Glacier.
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| It's a cold ride on the bow. |
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| Entering Columbia Bay |
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| We wiggled in and out of the |
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| There are some big icebergs. |
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| The icebergs move constantly |
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| Columbia Glacier used to be one giant flow, now it flows from three directions. |
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| The right (eastern) flow is the largest |
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| The center (northern) flow |
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| This flow used to be part of Columbia Glacier. |
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| A different view of Columbia Glacier |
The Return ...
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| We got passed on the way back |
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| Valdez is a small, working seaport. |
Fun Facts
Glacier ice is blue because the dense ice absorbs every other color of the spectrum except blue.
Columbia Glacier
- Is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world.
- Is 1,800 feet thick
- Is the last of Alaska's tidewater glaciers to go into retreat.
- Retreated 11 miles off its terminal moraine in 36 years.
- The Exxon Valdez ran aground trying to avoid one of its glaciers.
Tomorrow
Glacier ice is blue because the dense ice absorbs every other color of the spectrum except blue.
Columbia Glacier
- Is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world.
- Is 1,800 feet thick
- Is the last of Alaska's tidewater glaciers to go into retreat.
- Retreated 11 miles off its terminal moraine in 36 years.
- The Exxon Valdez ran aground trying to avoid one of its glaciers.
Tomorrow
We’re heading north to Tok and the Canadian border.
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