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July 10, 2009
Grayson and Darby preparing to board the Kenai Star
Mark and Darby at the pier
Jonna, Grayson, and Darby wait outside Major Marine
Enjoying a hot beverage at this cute coffee shop
Waiting at our table to depart aboard the Kenai Star
A view of the Seward Marina as we set off
Tons of puffins could be seen from the boat - they were so cute!
We quickly spotted a couple of Dall Porpoises in Resurrection Bay
It's a bird feeding frenzy
Clouds hung low today, giving the scenery a hint of mystique
Approaching the Aialik Glacier with an otter in the foreground
He was doing the backstroke!
The glacier is peeking out from behind the mist-covered rocks
We were so excited to see an American Bald Eagle
The glacier is 7/10 of a mile wide and 5 miles long
As we approached the glacier, a thunderous roar indicated movement
Icebergs filled the water around the glacier
Crash! The iceberg calved as we watched!
Darby and Grayson -- can you believe they are dressed like this in July?
Mountain Man Mark in his winter attire
The surface of the Aialik Glacier was jagged and ever-changing.
Different lighting made the glacier appear more blue or white as we moved.
More Dall Porpoises were spotted from the boat
This beautiful formation is called Three Hole Rock
Common Murre (aka Alaska's Penguins) crowd onto this rock
The fluke of a Humpback Whale
It came back up a minute later to breathe...
... and gave us a good view of its humped back.
This adorable, little Puffin took a swim nearby
Birds were everywhere!
We were excited to see this Sea Lion sunning himself on a rock
Another magnificent view of the fjord
More Sea Lions relaxing on a rock - the golden ones are dry and the dark ones are wet
More Common Murre - these are the deepest diving birds in the world (up to 600 feet!)
Darby enjoying the view
Grayson and Darby with our National Park Ranger, Dan Payne.
In the off-season, Dan lives in Blairsville, GA, just a few miles from our cabin.
Another beautiful bird sanctuary
Sea lions were EVERYWHERE!
Looking through the window as Darby and Grayson warm up at our table
Jonna takes command of the ship! Uh oh!
The dessert buffet was deadly!
Glad we brought lots of clothes to bundle up in!
Ranger Dan awards the Junior Ranger badges - don't Darby and Grayson look thrilled?
The sun finally came out near the end of the cruise to warm us up a bit.
Mark and Darby enjoying the fresh sea air
Jonna taking it all in
Jonna stayed outside most of the time to combat seasickness
Grayson and Mark on the trip back towards Seward Marina
The view of the mountains heading back into Seward
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