We left Anchorage and drove south on the Kenai peninsula to Seward, where we caught a boat to Fox Island. It felt a little bit like wilderness Disneyland, but the food was good, the beds were warm, and the wildlife was spectacular.

Scanning for Whales at Dinner
Scanning for Whales at Dinner
Fox Island

These orcas swam up incredibly close to the shore; apparently to rub their bellies on the rocks. Apparently it’s hard to scratch yourself with a flipper. They were within 20 feet of me on the short, but I was too dumbfounded to get a picture. Instead, Ruth got this video from a little further away.

After a day on the island, we went on a boat tour deep into the national park to the Northwestern Glacier. It’s named for the university, and has receded more than six mile from where it was charted in 1909. Despite the retreat, it’s still spectacular, and we saw a fair number of other interesting critters on the ride there and back.

Seals on icefloe
Seals on icefloe
Northwest Glacier
Northwest Glacier
Puffins
Puffins
Humpback breaching
Humpback breaching