Kenai Fjord

We started out with outdoor seating on the boat but soon looked for seats out of the wind.  The boat maneuvered away from the dock and soon we were in open water.  Here is the a shot of all the boats in the harbor, and the wake from the stern once we broke free.  (Remember to click on a photo to enlarge)

I apologize for all the heads, hats, arms, cameras, and people in the photos.  I wasn't quick enough to get my shots when the view was clear, and there were always people in the way.

The next few are some that I'm including because of all the birds.

There are some beautiful grottoes in the rocks, which look better when the photo is enlarged.  Also, I think I caught a photo of a humpback whale that had just dived, with only the fluke visible.  My eyes aren't good enough to pick it up (even when enlarged).   There were 3 orcas diving alongside our boat but they were too quick for me to catch on film  I think that was the animal I most loved seeing, and the picture will forever be in my memory!

Some of the wildlife that I saw and identified:  Puffin, Cormorant, Kittiwake, Steller seal, Mountain goat, Humpback whale, Bald Eagles, and Orcas.  I'm sure there were many other birds, but I was often outside looking at them rather than writing down their names.  Why didn't I write down the names as I was looking?  I can't even walk and chew gum at the same time!

The glacier is spectacular.  A mile across and over 700 acres of ice - can't remember how thick it is.  The water as we got closer became slushy ice, and I couldn't stay out on deck very long because it was so cold.

And the wake of the boat as we were returning to port.  

I missed these photos when I was adding the others.  

One of the passengers showed me a photo he took of the second scene above, and it was stunning - I think he could easily have it published.  He was so proud of it I thought he was going to burst.

After spending a few minutes in the souvenir shop Joe, his two girls and I went on back to the duplex.  It was quite a while before the others showed up.  Evidently their fishing boat was in some of the same waters we traveled in, but Sarah got seasick.  She managed to hook a big salmon before getting sick though.  We all went to a very nice restaurant in Seward that evening.  Most of the restaurants had waiting lists of half hour or more, which isn't fun when children are present.  We finally went into a place that could seat us right away and I think it couldn't have been a better choice.  The food was excellent and the service was the best!