Alaska one
A hush has fallen over the crowd standing by the railing, binoculars ready, cameras of all sizes poised, wool hats adjusted. You could hear a peanut M&M fall out of your pocket in the silence. We are all waiting for the sound of Humpback whales exhaling and re-surfacing. They can easily be below water for fifteen minutes and might pop out way off from where we last spotted them. Communal patience and reverence are on display and that is somehow touching. I fight the urge to tear up.
This gathering of like-minded nature nerds takes place at the bow of the MS Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian Expedition ship, currently carrying one hundred and eighty of us through Alaskan waters. It is mid-May at 60 degree latitude and only the beginning of the season, the first sailing of this Inside Passage itinerary. This is also the first rain-free day and clouds have given room to patches of clear sky. The evening sun is weak but cheered on as it casts the most gorgeous copper light on the water.
The captain got in on the chase and has slowed the ship to an almost stop on the way out of this fjord away from the Inian Island group where we spent the day exploring on Zodiacs. Thanks to the hybrid powered engine we are sitting quietly. In the background snow covered mountains that remind me of my chocolate Bundt cake with powdered sugar recipe. Today we witnessed sea lions, bald eagles, and all kinds of not-so-special birds. Apologies to all birders who might read this. Some folks saw sea otters and a whale earlier. This is not yet peak wildlife viewing season so the hype is large. Nothing is taken for granted but we all secretly hope for some exceptional encounters.
The Expedition Team however, a group of young international outdoor geeks in gorgeous Norwegian wool sweaters with high zipped collars, is beyond thrilled at all and everything we encounter. They exude, no, they embody, enthusiasm and delight at being here. One of them, our Zodiac captain two days ago stopped the raft, cut the motor, looked out over the vastness of water and mountains, smiled and said “isn’t this stunning? Whatever decisions brought you here, you are in the right place”. Amen to that.