Three Weeks on Land… and Already Ready to Get Back to Alaska

After spending most of the season bouncing between small expedition boats, skiffs, glaciers, whales, bears, and everything else Southeast Alaska has decided to throw at us, I am currently doing something I don't get to do very often: Staying in one place.

I've been enjoying a three-week break from the boat, using the time to recharge, catch up on sleep, spend some much-needed time with family, and generally recover some of the energy that disappears somewhere between the early mornings, long days, and endless Alaska adventures.

And while the break has been wonderful...

I'm already missing the boat.

There is something slightly strange about being on land for this long after spending so much time looking at mountains, watching for whales, checking the tides, and wondering what might be around the next corner. I find myself thinking about Alaska quite a bit—and missing all the incredible things we get to see out there.

Luckily, my last trip before leaving Alaska gave me plenty to think about.

Starting With Orcas

We started the trip in the Inians, where the Steller Sea Lions were doing their usual excellent job of being loud, entertaining, and completely unbothered by our presence.

But the sea lions weren't the biggest surprise of the day.

While we were out in the small Zodiacs, we got an incredibly close pass from a couple of orcas.

Let's just say that after that encounter, guest expectations for the rest of the week were officially set very high.

It's hard to blame them.

When your first day includes orcas cruising right past the Zodiac, you naturally start wondering what Alaska is going to come up with next.

Fortunately, Alaska didn't disappoint.

Whales, Bears & One Very Big Tide

We continued to have some fantastic wildlife encounters throughout the week, including some great humpback whale activity in the evenings.

There is something particularly magical about watching humpbacks in the evening light. The water calms down, the landscape starts to glow, and suddenly you're sitting there watching one of the largest animals on the planet surface just offshore.

We also continued to find plenty of bears hanging around Hidden Falls Hatchery, taking advantage of the salmon run. At this point in the season, the bears know exactly where the buffet is. And they aren't leaving until the salmon do.

But one of the more unusual highlights of the week wasn't actually a wildlife encounter. It was the tide.

We experienced one of the highest tides I've personally seen while exploring Glacier Bay—an impressive 18-foot tidal range between low and high tide. For anyone who hasn't spent much time around Alaska's tides, an 18-foot difference is a LOT of water moving around. And you definitely notice it when you're wandering through the ice garden.

As the tide came in, we watched a surprising amount of shoreline disappear beneath the water. Places that had been exposed earlier in the day were suddenly underwater, making the landscape look completely different.

It's one of those little reminders that Alaska is constantly changing, even when you're standing in the same place.

Okay… I Finally Did It

One of the hazards of working around incredible wildlife and being surrounded by photographers all season is something I like to call camera envy.

You see a guest capture an amazing shot of a humpback. Then another guide gets an incredible bear photo. Someone else gets the perfect eagle shot. And eventually you start thinking:

"Okay... maybe I need a better camera."

After enough whale and bear encounters, I finally gave in. During this three-week break, I bit the bullet and upgraded my camera body and lens. So now I'm officially prepared to photograph all those amazing wildlife encounters that are best appreciated from a respectful distance.

Of course, having a new camera doesn't guarantee that the wildlife will cooperate.

I'm still going to need the whales to surface in the right place, the bears to stand in good light, the birds to stop moving for approximately half a second, and the weather to cooperate.

So basically, I have purchased expensive equipment and now need Alaska to do its part.

No pressure.

There is still a little bit of the season left, and I'm excited to get back up to Alaska and see what the final stretch has in store.

After everything we've seen this year—whales, bears, orcas, glaciers, sea lions, puffins, jellyfish, and all the unexpected moments in between—I have no idea what the next trip will bring.

And that's exactly what I love about expedition guiding. Every trip starts with a plan. But Alaska gets the final say.

So here's to the last adventures of the season, hopefully a few great wildlife encounters, plenty of new photographs with the new camera, and whatever surprises Southeast Alaska decides to send our way.

I'll see you back on the boat.

Ice Garden in front of Lamplugh Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park

Banana Slug

Sunset out side of Sitka, Alaska