The main focus of our boat trip out of Seward were the glaciers and the marine wildlife that live on or near them. On our way out of the harbor we were greeted by a pair of bald eagles, which was a great start to the trip. Once we hit the open water we were escorted another part of the way to the glaciers by a pod of Dall’s porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli). I tried to get some pictures of them, but the boat and the porpoises were moving too fast to get much except a dark blur. Had I thought of it, I think a video would have been more likely to get what I wanted, but unfortunately, I didn’t think to do it until too late. Even though I couldn’t get images, just to see them was amazing.

Once we reached the Aialik glacier, which was our main destination, the views were amazing. I was particularly struck by the bluish color of the ice. It is caused by silt that the glacier picks up as it moves over the land. When the glacier calves, or breaks off pieces that fall into the sea, the silt also makes the water a very pretty blue. The first photo was taken of the glacier from about five miles out. I really liked to striking blue in contrast to the sky and the surrounding tundra. The second image is the same glacier from closer and just emphasizes the incredible contrast between the ice and the lichen covered land. It was absolutely amazing to see these incredible ice sheets, and although I’m very happy with my photos, they still just don’t do the scenery justice. If you get the opportunity to go, you should definitely take it!