Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Today, we are cruising into Disenchantment Bay to see beautiful Hubbard Glacier.  At 76 miles long, 7 miles wide, and 600 feet tall, it is North America's largest tidewater glacier.  Tidewater glaciers are valley glaciers that flow all the way down to the ocean.  At its terminal face (front), 350 feet of the glacier is exposed above the waterline and 250 feet of it is below the waterline.

Hubbard Glacier

The ice at the terminal face (front) is approximately 450 years old and can be over 2,000 feet thick.

Minor Calving at Hubbard Glacier

For the next 2.5 hours, the ship floats in the ice-studded water about 2-3 miles from the face of the glacier.  It is windy and cold outside but we brave the elements for about 1.5 hours photographing the blue ice and minor splashes from calving.  Loud cracks like rumbling thunder indicates that calving is occurring somewhere on the glacier.  Listen carefully for a fizzing sound (called “Berg Seltzer”).   According to Wikipedia, “this sound is made when the water-ice interface reaches compressed air bubbles trapped in the ice.  As this happens, each bubble bursts, making a 'popping' sound.”  These sounds add to the excitement and experience of visiting glaciers. 

Disenchantment Bay is also home to Turner Glacier (located just west of Hubbard Glacier).  Turner Glacier is also a tidewater glacier.  The black lines are moraines (glacial debris) ground from the mountain sides.  This is what gives Turner Glacier its “dirty” appearance. 

Turner Glacier

 

For more information on Hubbard Glacier, visit the National Park Service website at:

Hubbard Glacier Facts

 

Homer & Seldovia, Alaska

This is the second new Alaskan port-of-call for us on this trip.  Homer has been long known as the "Halibut  Fishing Capital of the World".  Our ship is docked at the end of the Homer Spit (a narrow 4.5 mile long gravel bar that extends into the bay where Homer Harbor is located). 

Homer Spit

 

We disembark the ship and walk down a long pier to the shore.  We continue walking to another gangway and a second pier where our boat - the Discovery (operated by Alaska Coastal Marine) is waiting for us.  

 

The Discovery cruises across Kachemak Bay to Gull Island – home to 8 different bird species. 

 

 

Gull Island             

After we leave Gull Island, the Discovery sails to the remote coastal village of Seldovia.  Along the way, we spot numerous sea otters floating in the water and an interesting rock formation that resembles an elephant.  At one point, it looks like its trunk is in the water and a few minutes later; it looks like its trunk is up in the air. 

         

            Sea Otters

      

  Elephant Rock Formation – Trunk Down & Trunk Up

 

It takes us 2.5 hours of scenic cruising to reach Seldovia.  This tiny town is steeped in Russian-American history and was one of the earliest settlements in the Cook Inlet region. 

 

           

                              Russian Orthodox Church                       

          

   Historic Boardwalk                        Stilted Buildings

 

We have two hours to explore the town.  We walk the historic boardwalk, photograph the stilted buildings along the river, and visit the Russian Orthodox Church.  By 3:15pm, we board the Discovery for our 1.25 hour return trip (about 13-14 miles) across Kachemak Bay to Homer where our ship is waiting for us.


For more information about Seldovia, please visit the following website:
Seldovia Alaska

Kodak Moments in Kodiak, Alaska

This is the third new Alaskan port-of-call for us on this trip.  Visiting these new ports was the reason we chose to do this cruise itinerary.  Once again, we have booked two shore excursions for today.

Because Kodiak is located due north of Hawaii, our tour guide refers to Kodiak as the northernmost Hawaiian island.   The Kodiak Island Archipelago (a chain of islands) is roughly the size of the state of Connecticut.   Kodiak was settled in the 18th century by the subjects of the Russian crown and became the capital of Russian Alaska.  As part of the Alaska Purchase by the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a commercial fishing center which continues to this day. 


Kodiak isn't a tourist town (they're getting 9 cruise ships in port this year - 5 more than last year).  So, the school buses moonlight as tour buses.  We board a small yellow school bus for our morning tour “Fort Abercrombie State Park Nature Hike”.  In 1970, Fort Abercrombie was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and, in 1985, the park was designated a National Historic Landmark.  When we arrive at this 183-acre park, we take a leisurely 1.5 mile walk along the dirt path through spruce forests, marsh land, and meadows.  There are several scenic overlooks along the trail with views of the steep cliffs, mountains, and the bay.   

         

We see a variety of beautiful and bountiful blooming wildflowers (purple Fringed Shooting Star, blue Lupine, Salmon Berry) and lots of green leafy ferns. We spot an adult bald eagle sitting at the tippy-top of a tree.  Since this was a fort, there are remnants of its historical past (WWII bunker/museum and cannon).  

         

Our afternoon tour is the “Kodiak City Drive”.  A light but steady rain is falling during our bus ride through town.  We make several stops (Deadman’s Curve, Oscar’s Dock and Mill Beach) where we are allowed to get out of the bus and take pictures.   

The highlight of the City tour for me was a chance to photograph the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church.  It is a pretty church surrounded by a white picket fence.  The church is open and we can go inside it.  

         

For more information about Kodiak Island, its history, and things to do – check out this website:

Kodiak, Alaska