It was a rainy day when we lined up for the Whittier Tunnel yesterday.
Waiting on the other side was the m/v Bravest, with more than 250 new friends–all ready to explore the glaciers in Prince William Sound.
Phillips Cruises has operated daily cruises into College Fjord for decades–and they have the itinerary fine-tuned for those who want to see more glaciers–faster!
Along the way, travelers get a peek at the abundant wildlife in Prince William Sound: sea lions, seals, puffins, kittiwakes, bears, eagles…maybe even a whale (we didn’t see any)
Nobody gets seasick on Bravest. It’s guaranteed. As we’re pulling out of Whittier, the staff comes through and delivers some yummy smoked salmon chowder. If you want more, there’s a bar in the back of the boat with more snacks an drinks.
Bravest skims along the water at about 30 knots, which means we approad “Egg Rock” in short order. That’s where you’re likely to see some sea lions hauled out on the rocks. These critters are big–but it’s hard to get a picture with my phone!
Next stop was a fish bay in Lake Bay, near the southern tip of Esther Island. It’s interesting to see the pens where they keep the fish. But it’s more interesting to see the other critters hoping to grab a stray fish or two….or three. Sea lions. Birds. Bears….we saw them all!
After watching all the critters, the captain turned north to cut through Esther Passage and into College Fjord.
The ice opened up nicely for us. It’s a 30-mile trip up College Fjord to see the massive Harvard Glacier, so he put the hammer down. The rooster tail on Bravest is impressive.
The water was as smooth as glass, which made for some nice photos. As we approached the top of College Fjord with the giant Harvard Glacier, the ship kept bumping into more and more ice…which made for some interesting noises throughout the cruise!
As the ice got thicker, we could spot more harbor seals on the mini-icebergs. But all eyes were on the face of the glacier to see any big chunks that might calve off and hit the water with a big SPLASH!
The captain stayed as long as he could at the face of the glacier, until it was time to buzz back to Whittier.
The last stop was the giant kittiwake rookery directly across from the Whittier Harbor. Thousands of kittiwakes make their nests directly on a rock face–which provides good protection from foxes and other predators.
Don’t miss a cruise this summer with Phillips Cruises. Bring your raincoat. Bring your hat and glosves. I was surprised at how warm it was–and there was no icy wind coming from the glacier. But there could have been!!
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