This was my second trip on the Northern Song; with just 8 passengers and 3 crew, it’s like being on a trip with a group of friends … and an insanely talented chef. Nearly everyone had been on previous trips. Captain Harley, Chef Katie, and First Mate Bart were so attentive, and so much fun.
Food was absolutely amazing … unless you have other worldly self control, this is not the trip to pack pants that are already snug at the waist. Seafood will be served at least once a day, but they can accommodate any food restrictions or preferences.
This trip was focused on humpbacks, with the hope of also seeing orcas. Dr. Adam Pack, a Whale & Dolphin Institute professor in Hilo, Hawaii was on board to collect fluke shots for his research. Beyond his wealth of info about whales, we enjoyed the benefit of having someone with a research permit on board, allowing us to approach closer than normal. Over the course of the week I think he got fluke shots of over 100 different whales. We also observed a lot of feeding activity, and finally saw bubble net feeding our final afternoon!
In addition to the many humpbacks, we had a pod of resident orcas that played around our boat for over 2 hours one afternoon. Another day, we encountered a transient pod hunting a couple of sea lions (fortunately they escaped in the end).
We also went up Tracy Arm to Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers. After several small calvings, we were fortunate to see a large section of ice calve into the water. The soft rumbles, louder thunder and occasional sharp shots of noise as gravity and water work on the ice are amazing.
But beyond all the highlights, the quiet moments will also stay with me. The reflections of the sky in the still water. The drama of clouds piling up on the hills. The engines off and sounds of whale blows all around us. The stillness after we’ve anchored in a quiet cove for the evening.