Seward Cruise

We took a cruise out into Resurrection Bay and into the Alaska Ocean before going into the Kenai Fjords National Park and the Harding Ice Field.

We left the dock around 10 AM and sailed out of Resurrection Bay.  

This is the captain using the outside controls to get us away from the dock. 

We went on this cruise with Bernie and Marie Benson who are from Allen, TX.  We met them in Fairbanks and they told us about the school host program.  They are now camped at the Seward Middle School with us.

There was a ranger on board and the kids had a great time with him throughout the cruise.

We barely left the dock when we saw our first wildlife - an eagle.

It was a long way out to the ocean but some people did see a couple of grizzlies on the shoreline (not me, even with the binoculars!!).  Do you see any??

At one time there was an Army Post out here to protect Seward and the Alaska Railroad yards.  Recognizing the bay's strategic importance, the military reserved most of the bay's islands and headlands during the summer of 1941; later in the war, it reserved thousands of additional acres overlooking the bay. Facilities, consisting of gun batteries, searchlights, communications sites, and supporting facilities, were constructed at many sites in and around the bay; many were built under the most trying of circumstances. Sites were reserved, and facilities built, on both sides of the bay and as far east as Chamberlain Point, overlooking Day Harbor.


When we got near the Alaska Ocean, we noticed the swells increase a little.  But it was really nothing - of course we took dramamine before we left the dock!

Then we turned into Aialik Bay and the Holgate Arm and on our way in, had a delicious lunch of salmon and prime rib and all the fixings to go with it. 

In this Bay are several glaciers.

As we got closer, we saw our first ice.

Now we are moving in close to this one.

And then there is more ice.

We got fairly close and started watching for the 'calving.'

As we left this bay, we did see two whales emerge from the water but only briefly - not long enough to get pictures.

We also saw seals, and sea otters and puffins.

Grassy rock with white flowers.

Later, they announced that they had retrieved some of the ice from the glacier and had made frozen margaritas - at $4 for a large glass, we had to have one.

On our way back thru Resurrection Bay someone saw a whale surfacing behind us so we turned around and headed back for a closer look.  The whale then surfaced again and dove with its tail flapping above the water.  Really neat, but, of course, not enough time for a picture.

Also on the way back (around 4 PM) they served dessert - brownies, spice cake, cheese cake, fruit, and jello.  (All you could eat, of course!!).

It was an excellent trip, and, because we had a 2-for-1 ticket, it was even better!!