Early this morning we boarded a 60ft BOAT and got a look at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminal, the 3-mile face of Columbia Glacier, and the playful sea life of PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. We saw 6 or 7 Sea Otters, Horned Puffins, Tufted Puffins, Marbled Murlets, Black-legged Kittiwakes, 100 Stellars Sea Lions. a Humpback Whale, about a dozen Dall's Porpoises, and 3 Orcas, plus other things I am sure I am forgetting! The boat even navigated through an ice field for some time. The boat trip far exceed all expectations in what we saw, plus the water was calm and the sky was sunny.
In the evening we enjoyed a farewell dinner at the Alyeska Prince Hotel before returning to Anchorage. This was a very posh hotel. We went up the mountain on a cable car from the hotel before the dinner.
We had a very full and great day to finish our tour of Alaska. We met a lot of fine people on this tour. It was a great one.
Valdez marina. A beautiful and colourful morning.
Even a friendly Sea Otter was waiting for us at the dock. It was amazingly very approachable. One of the many treats we had today.
Another shot of those colourful sea kayaks.
This was our tour boat for the trip to Whittier, Alaska.
We are now underway into Prince William Sound.
Another friendly Sea Otter.
Our skipper at the helm.
An interesting little rocky outcrop.
Steller Sea Lions resting on a marker buoy. Our boat came very close to them with very little reaction from them.
We then sailed into an ice field. Sure looked like winter to me!
Note the clear and glasslike glacier ice.
Just like glass.
Barb from Australia at the bow of the boat.
I think the only thing missing are the Penguins?
Some of the blue ice.
The skipper again.
We even came across two deer swimming in Prince William Sound.
Horned Puffins.
A Tufted Puffin. We saw 5 or 6 of these.
A Steller Sea Lion haul out at Point Bull Head.
Another view of the sea lions.
Some kayakers visiting the sea lions.
Common Murres.
And then, a Humpback Whale,
Dall Porpoises.
and three Orcas (Killer Whales)!
Wild salmon outside the enclosure of a salmon hatchery.
Gillnetting salmon not far from the salmon hatchery. Apparently, salmon gillnetting licenses are quite dear and in limited supplies. Those who have them do not part with them.
from another angle.
Apparently I (Ted) was "like the kid in the candy store". This day on the water was truly awesome.
We stopped by a Black-legged Kittiwake nesting colony on a steep rocky cliff next to a waterfall.
The waterfall. Note the Kittiwakes (read, white dots) on the rock face to the right of the waterfall.
Back on the mainland. A glacier fed lake at Portage. Alaska.
We arrived at the Alyeska Resort where we would have our farewell dinner. This was a very posh place with a tramway to the top of the mountain, This whole area was a skiing resort area and very beautiful.
The resort, as we make our way up the mountain via the tram.
The tram again.
The tram station at the top.
Note the glaciers in the background; of course, Michelle in the foreground.
Some of the gang at the dinner.
What a great day!
