Impossibly beautiful--this was the Alaska of my imagination. The trip begins out of Seward harbor. Resurrection Bay opens into the rugged Gulf of Alaska...
The Park is small by Alaska standards. And the only access to it is by boat. We stayed in the Park's only lodge which gave us three full days to explore the area by kayak and canoe. To get there, though, was part of the adventure.
Resurrection Bay is the gateway to the park and is the first place the boat slows down to look around.
The Stellar Sea Lions were the most exciting sight-- an endangered animal. We also saw tufted puffins--so cute!
It was cold and raining.
We came to Alaska for Puffins and Arctic Terns!
But we left in love with Stellar Sea lions and Harbor Seals (bottom)
We saw plenty of Common Murres.
Alaska's ubiquitous mew gulls.
We also saw a mountain goat.
Double Crested Cormorants were almost as common as Bald Eagles in Alaska. They looked so healthy!
This is a Rhinoceros Auk. Another thrill! The squat, grayish Rhinoceros Auklet is a close relative of puffins, although it doesn't sport quite such a fancy bill. Still, its name refers to the single vertical horn that sticks up from its orange bill—an odd accessory that turns out to be fluorescent and may be used for visual communication. These seabirds are fairly common along the Pacific Coast of North America, where they hunt close to shore for small schooling fish, pursuing them by "flying" underwater with strong wingbeats.
The colors were surreal in the Bay with algae and sea stars galore.
Leaving Resurrection Bay led to a mad dash across the Gulf of Alaska. The sea is extremely unpredictable there and the captains were silent and seemed to be trying to just get passed the Gulf as quickly as possible. People's return was postponed two days later from the lodge because of rough seas. It was absolutely terrifying when we made the return trip four days later. On way into the Park was clear and peaceful--except for the rain.
As soon as you enter the waters of the park, you find yourself in an icy world --Pederson Icefield feeds multiple large glaciers.
Then coming into the beach where the lodge is located, we saw a whale and our first Black Oystercatchers
After disembarking, we met our guides for a mile walk up the black sand beach and through a very verdant forest to reach the lodge, which was set on two laggons, formed by a retreating glacier.
We though the setting on the lagoon was stunning. There is an upper lagoon that you visit using the canoe and then hiking back into the country.
Barrows Goldeneyes on the move!
My favorite harbor seals!!
Time to find our cabin... to be continued.
刺身 厚切り わさび醤油で
