“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” -Mary Oliver
We awakened this morning to typical Alaskan weather: 40-degree-Fahrenheit air chilled with layers of clouds and dense patches of fog. High cliff walls rose out through the layers, with gray-colored puffs clinging to the sides. Light from the sun illuminated a snow-covered outcropping here, the top of a cloud there. Various shapes and sizes of ice were scattered throughout the waterway. National Geographic Sea Lion was deep in the heart of Endicott Arm, one of the magnificent fjords of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area, heading for the face of Dawes Glacier. At 7:00a.m. the gentle voice of our expedition leader beckoned those still in their cabins to come out onto the rain-splattered, sun-dappled decks to experience this tranquil majestic morning in Southeast Alaska.
Not long into the morning stretch class, one of the naturalists came back with index finger over lips and a “shhhhh…” to let us know there was a black bear along the shoreline. Many chose to move to the railing and put cameras and binoculars to eyes. Those who remained came into a tighter-knit group and whispered so as not to disturb the bear or viewers. A magical element hung in the misty air. And then, off the stern of the ship, the vivid bands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet… a rainbow! How fitting for our first day on board. The expedition had officially begun.
The rest of the morning was spent exploring Dawes Glacier from the small boats, complete with the white thunder CRACK!, splash, and wakes of calving ice. Treasures experienced at Dawes and along the fjord included: bears, eagles, harbor seals, arctic terns, scoters, harlequin ducks, and mountain goat. And a post-lunch treat… the crew had hoisted a huge piece of ice onto the sundeck which our assistant chef carved into a flying eagle!
In the late afternoon the photo instructor gave an introductory talk, and afterwards National Geographic Sea Lion anchored in William’s Cove for kayaking and exploratory walks in the temperate rainforest. Those who went ashore were rewarded with the refreshing scents of spruce and hemlock, mixed with musty earth, and all around, the signs of life springing forth after a long cold winter. Green everywhere!
