As mentioned at the beginning of this series, an old item on my bucket list was to see whales in the wild. And today was — hopefully — the day!
Everyone said that Alaska weather was variable, all year ’round. Even in the warm summer months a day could go from a clear and sunny 70* then plunge to a cold, rainy, 50*. Knowing this made preparing to spend hours on the water more than usually difficult. In the end, I opted for wearing long pants and a short sleeve shirt, but bringing a long sleeve shirt and my raincoat. No gloves or hat or sweater.
Glacier Wind is a family-run business, now in its second generation. They know the waters around Icy Point Strait intimately and truly love what they are doing. They know all the whales and spent a lot of our time putting around telling us about the individual whales, as well as a ton of information about these enigmatic and beautiful creatures. Their boats are custom designed by them to be optimal for whale watching, nothing else. Not only do they have an onboard toilet (!), but you can walk completely around the outside of the cabin. Even from within the cabin you have a nearly completely unobstructed view of anything that can be seen.
The day was excellent. We did not have any “close” encounters, but spent a good amount of time watching a pod of seven whales over several hours as they fed, sounded, and (finally) slept. The weather turned out gorgeous and we were with a good crowd.
Icy Strait Point itself is 100% owned by the Huna Totem Corporation, an Alaska Native owned-and-operated group and all profits directly support the local community. It is a big incentive to spend your dollars there. There are several restaurants, a restored 1912 Alaska salmon cannery and museum, nature trails, restaurants, and even a beach! It was interesting and the retail shops had a lovely selection of locally-made art, goods, and jewelry.
This day was truly a highlight.
