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There were a few times when I was soaking in the scenery (not literally) of the towering glaciers and beautiful mountains, and plowed straight into small icebergs. It would stop my heart at first, but then I would gain my balance again and all would be fine. I had to try to forget about the fact that the water was about 40 degrees and if I flipped the kayak the chances of freezing or at least getting severe hypothermia were very real. Once you flip a kayak it is almost impossible to get it upright again in these icy waters unless you are a very experienced kayaker.
I was lucky, though, since the bears paid no attention to us and continued looking for their lunch. It was fascinating being able to watch the bears from the water as it gave me a chance to view them doing exactly what they do naturally.
I knew bears were both curious and huge, but witnessing them up close was a thrilling experience. They are fascinating creatures and I really couldn't get enough of watching them. During meals and during time on deck, I constantly found myself scanning the shoreline with binoculars hoping to get one more glimpse of these wonderful animals. |
Friday,
Glacier Bay
What
we didn't expect on our paddling expedition was to come across two
huge grizzly bears along the shoreline. Watching two bears forage
on shore while we were in a kayak on the water, was incredibly exhilarating,
if not slightly scary. I knew I was safe since I was a respectable
distance away, but I also knew that bears could swim very well and
are not often deterred by cold water. 
They
had no idea we were watching and it gave us real insight into their
feeding behaviors, not to mention their sheer size. Seeing them
at close range gave me a new respect for their strength as we watched
them turn over massive rocks with just one paw. |
Dad came up on deck to see what all the fuss was about. He was thrilled to see so many sea lions. I always love watching Dad when he’s watching animals. Although he’s traveled to every continent and filmed with thousands of creatures, he always gets excited when he witnesses animals in the wild. His face always lights up as he explains their behavior to me. I feel very lucky to have the experience of working with him in the field and learning as much as I can from his 40 years of working with animals. |
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Mile
after mile, the scenery is spectacular. The birds and animals
are everywhere. This afternoon I looked over to one side of the
ship and saw a large buoy with sea lions draped around it. They
looked incredibly comfortable sunning themselves in the rocking
waves. All of us grabbed our cameras to take advantage of this
great photo opportunity – the sea
lions paid us no attention.
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