Alaska and Northwest Trip - Day 9

This was the best day so far!  We went on a cruise of the Kenai Peninsula from Seward, Alaska.  We saw killer whales, humpback whales, puffins, dolphins, seals, sea lions, a black bear and a calving glacier that was spectacular!

We reported to the cruise ship and learned that hurricane force winds are going to keep us from leaving for an extra day.  This is the second cruise we've taken that has been affected by weather.  If you're thinking of taking a trip with us, on land you will see the clearest and best views, at sea, the weather will change things (thought they are always still fun!)

I haven't figured out how to get pictures onto the internet from here, but I will eventually post pictures of all the wildlife.

On the subject of internet, I just dropped $100 for 250 minutes of internet to allow me to post from the cruise, so do me a favor and click an ad or two to help keep the wife from killing me!

Bald Eagles.  The boat pilot called them part of the WOW program - wildlife on welfare.  They've figured out it's a lot easier to wait for scraps from the fishing boats than it is to hunt.

Clouds on a shoreside mountain.

The sun finally comes out.

The big boy from a pod of Orca (Killer Whales.)

Two of the pod swimming away.

All four milling about so we can photograph them.

More milling...

A young one saying hello.

Sea Lions on a rock.

Dall's Porpoise swimming by underwater.  These guys are incredibly hard to get a picture of.

Close...

Best picture I got.  You try to get a better one!

Puffin.

Snow capped Alaskan mountain.

Aialik Glacier

Closeup of the glacier.  It was actively calving (breaking off into the sea.)  It sounded like thunder or giant cracking sounds.  Hard to get a picture or video of.

Seals hanging out near the glacier on ice.  I couldn't help wondering what would happen if a really large chunk fell off.

Seal stretching.

Glacier with the rocks behind it.

Ice field with seals.

Black bear foraging near the glacier.

Sea Otter sleeping in the middle of the fjord.

Humpback Whale diving.

Thar she blows!