Our Kenai Fjords boat tour was cold, wet, and shorter than planned due to a small craft advisory. The highlights were 8 or so Dall’s Porpoise just 20 feet away playing in the boat’s wake at the bow, 3 Orca, and many cool birds, including Horned Puffins.
As we left the protection of Resurrection Bay, the sea was rough. A lot of people were seasick. I have never been plagued with seasickness, and fortunately, C has finally found a combo that works for him, so we were both fine. The captain said that it was supposed to get worse throughout the day, so we abandoned the quest for Northwestern Glacier and explored some sheltered areas nearby before heading back early.
If we hadn’t changed course, we probably would have missed our closest Orca sightings ever. We spent 10 minutes watching 3 male killer whales from the transient “Kodiak Killers” group, frequently rising to the surface only 100 yards away. The one named Sasha had a dorsal fin that had flopped over.
Major Marine Tours treated us well, refunding over $200. We ended up with a five hour trip plus a good lunch, and they only charged us $126.34 each thanks to the 30% seabird festival discount. I definitely recommend this company.
The weather was so bad that I didn’t take any photos of the awesome wildlife. Fortunately the Alaska SeaLife Center had my back the next day. I never get tired of this place, and it is much easier to get good bird photos here.
Except for a brief respite this morning, it has been raining since my last post. The forecast is for significant rain tomorrow as well. Daytime temperatures are in the 40’s to low 50’s, so that is a chilly rain. With more and more of our gear and clothing wet, last night we caved on the camping and got an AirBNB in Anchorage for two nights.
Today I am warm, dry, and all our clothes are clean! C is fishing again, but I decided to take the day off. One day chilling rather than chilly. What luxury to be in a house with running water and a recliner!
C was kind enough to turn around in heavy traffic while pulling a trailer so that I could get a better look at these adorable cygnets. Here are my bird lists for our Kenai Fjords trip and the next day: https://ebird.org/checklist/S246140393
Me & C 
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