My first impression as we flew in over Juneau - it's big. Not like in distance although it's that too, but in the size of things, like the mountains which are everywhere you look. And the flowers, dandelions the size of dinner plates. Somehow I'd never gotten here in my travels, it was always a place I'd get to someday. I think it was more about having to see it by way of a big cruise ship that deterred me. This trip was my introduction to expedition cruising and now that I've done it, I'm hooked - and it's the only way to see Alaska on an intimate scale.
American Safari has 3 yachts ranging in size from 12 to 36 passengers. Ours was the Safari Quest with 22 passengers and from the moment we got on board, we felt like it was our own private yacht. Absolutely everything is included, all the activities - hiking,zodiac boats,kayaks,onboard naturalists - the bar is fully stocked and always open, snacks are plentiful and meals delicious. It's very casual and by dinner on the first day it felt like a group of friends on vacation together. The crew was young, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. Cabins are small but adequate and there were a couple of upper deck cabins that were larger with sliding glass doors. There's no elevator, just stairs and getting in and out of zodiac boats and kayaks means it's not the best choice for anyone with physical limitations. You might worry about the motion of the seas but because they cruise in protected waters, it's a very smooth ride.
During our first evening we experienced a "whale call" - we'd finished dinner and the captain came on the loudspeaker to announce whales off the starboard side! Everyone dashed for their cameras and binoculars and emptied the room. We soon learned that on these ships, nature determines the routing so if there was something to see, the itinerary changed in a nanosecond.
The first full day was off to an exciting start with a sighting of humpback whales doing a bubblenet feeding. Groups of 8-10 whales will dive deep while blowing bubbles that make a tight circle and trap fish, then they surge to the surface and open their tremendous jaws to feed. The sounds and songs from under the water, then the rush of sheer power exploding the surface is so awesome. Being in the zodiac boat you can feel the energy and with the aquaphone we could hear their song. It was similar to the emotional response I had with the elephants in Africa, these enormous creatures with stunning capabilities to communicate, to act as a community. They are immense but so graceful, like a water ballet.
Later in the afternoon floating in a kayak, we saw huge bald eagles, myriads of different evergreen tree species, listened to the birds and eagle calls. It's sheer peace and joy to hear no other sound.
Every day brought another surprise - a raft of otters around the boat, seals, more humpback whales, amazing variety of birdlife and scores of eagles. Some days there would be a skiff ride to shore for a walk, zodiac excursions to whale watch, if the water was calm then sightseeing by kayak.
When we got to Glacier Bay it was a beautiful sunny day. We took a great hike through the coastal rainforest with Sitka spruce, cedars, hemlock, and a plant called Devil's Claw which is made into a medicinal salve. One of the park rangers came on board to stay with us throughout this part of the cruise, even she said we were so lucky to have this weather as it had been a long time since they'd had so much sun. We went out by skiff later in the afternoon and had a bear sighting - 2 black bears on the shore, and saw them again later on by kayak. Luckily they were uninterested in us as our kayak drifted just a bit too close to shore in our eagerness to get photos - we were so engaged watching him digging under the rocks for food.
Now we were in glacier country and it's jaw dropping. This is, I think, the only cruise where you are actually in Glacier Bay for 2-3 days. Going out in kayaks we realized how much color there really is in what you think is a muted grey landscape. We could see the seal pups on icebergs from the skiff!
My birthday was during this cruise and since you get to know the crew so well, I'd wandered into the kitchen and asked if I could have a birthday cake. So that night after a fabulous dinner of barbequed salmon, the entire crew surprised me with a "glacier cake", feather boa and tiara for the birthday girl and the whole crew in goofy wigs, such fun. And the big bonus - right in the middle of the celebration the captain came on the PA system and announced there were ORCAS!! The ship stopped for about 2 hours to watch, everyone including the entire crew dashed to the bow and all were like kids yelling with delight. It was a sight and an experience I will never forget.
On our last cruising day we came into a very quiet cove and met "Crab Louie", a fisherman that the chef, Craig, knew who lived on his boat with his whole family during the season and brought crab pots for us to choose our dinner. We got to learn about how they live and insight into a very different way of life, which they all prefer over ours!
We were so fortunate on this trip with extraordinary weather and really great traveling companions on board. The incredible diversity of life in Alaska exceeded all of my expectations, I ran out of superlatives. You come to see the large and magnificent and then start to focus new eyes and ears for all of the sights and sounds as well as the profound silence. The impact of this land is on a spiritual level, vast beauty, quiet and powerful. Go now, go to Alaska and see it for yourself.
