Travel beyond the hill: Day 45 Cruising!

We reserved an all day wildlife and glacier cruise that took us into the Fjords National Park. We were close enough to be able to walk to the port which was a good thing since full day parking is $20. I think they know they will get a lot of business with all the cruises and chartered fishing boats regardless of charge. Well the boat was very nice and they had an optional steak and salmon buffet. We had an assigned table with nice seating to eat at or you could sit or stand on any deck of the three levels to view all the great sights. We had a wonderful sunny unseasonably warm day with calm water. The captain said it was one of best he had seen. He was a awesome captain spotting wildlife and showing us some great scenic and historical sites. As soon as we left port we started seeing things, first dall sheep on the cliffs and then some beautiful rock formations with caves and nesting birds. We saw several birds some very rare to see. Bald eagles were also everywhere and are really common here. Then they announced they were seeing whales blowing ahead and we idled watching many humpback whales as they would spray water from spouts then surface and dive under. It was so exciting watching these huge creatures in their natural environment. We learned they do not stay here but only migrate to feed and have young but then go far south during winter. We saw sea lions along the rock edges, it was fun listening to them. They just lay on rocks during day and hunt and eat at night. Along the way they took us along 2 major glaciers. You are only allowed to get within a quarter of a mile of them. It may not sound like it but you are really close to these massive rivers of ice. To hear the very loud sound that come from the ice and watch huge pieces of the ice fall into the water was amazing. I could have sat and watched it all day. It was great seeing ice pieces just floating in the water. There were seals laying on the floating ice. As we left the glaciers we got to see orca whales, which we learned aren't whales at all, but closer to dolphin family. They don't come high out of water like the humpback. So you only see there fin and part of back. They don't migrate and stay all their lives with their family within a 500 mile radius. A national park ranger narrated our tour and was so informative. If not the top, this cruise is in the top couple things we have done on this trip. No words or pics will express the excitement I felt on this outing. Here are some pics from my phone. Please look close to see the whales spouts or there tails flipping or the ice crashing into the water. It was truly an amazing experience. The captain and ranger were even taking pictures. What a day!!!