Seward - June 20, 2014

We are camped in Seward along Resurrection Bay.  Seward was named Wm Seward who was instrumental in arranging the purchase of Alaska (Seward's folly) from the Russians in 1867.  Resurrection Bay was named by a Russian fur trader who was sailing from Kodiak the Yakutat when he found unexpected shelter in this bay from a storm.  He named it because it was the Russian Sunday of the Resurrection (Easter).  Seward is probably best known for the Iditarod Trail Dog Race that is run each March between Anchorage and Nome.  The 938 mile trail was first run between here and Nome as a mail route.

All 14 of us took a wildlife/glacier boat cruise.  It was much more luxurious than the ones we took four years ago.  Of course, there was beautiful scenery along the way.  The two large glaciers were Holgate Glacier and Aialak Glacier.  They did a little calving as we sat quietly viewing them.  It was quite cold near them.  We were fortunate to get to see three kinds of whales:  Orca, Fin, and Humpback.  We also saw, Sea Otters, Sea Lions, Dall's Porpoise, a Harbor Seal, Puffins, Kittiwakes and many other kinds of birds, some nesting along the cliffs.  The weather was superb:  sun shining and not much wind.  All in all it was a fantastic day.  It ended with most of sitting around a campfire sharing laughs and stories.

 Ready to board

 Orca

 Sea Otter with baby on its belly

 Holgate Glacier

 Puffins

 Sea Lions

Fin whale