Glaciers of Prince William Sound, Alaska: In Five Pics

Unforgettable Alaska Trip. Glaciers are serene beauty of Alaska. I went on a day cruise called glacier discovery in the waters of Prince William Sound. I saw some wildlife as well, sans whales. Nonetheless the glacier part of the trip was Picturesque. Glaciers are compact snow rivers. They are moving at all times, but slow. We were fortunate to witness their slow movement. The only way to witness that is when a chunk of glaciers falls into the ocean. Every year glaciers gain new snow and lose some to ocean. By monitoring net gain and loss we can determine whether a glacier is receding, stable or advancing. While under the climate change and increasing global temperatures, overall glaciers are receding, I was happy to know that a couple of glaciers in Alaska were advancing. Enjoy the pictures and a bonus video.

Otters chilling out in the backdrop of a gorgeous glacier.


Glacier structure up, close and personal.


Ocean, rain forest and a grand glacier.


Here the glacier looks like a river, as they are slow moving rivers of compact snow.


Our cruise approaching the surprise glacier. Yes surprise is the name of the glacier.

Quotes from Native Alaskans: In Five Pics

"We live in a changing world and what we have to do is define where we are today and what's important from the past. A lot of the values that were taught were lost or changed early on, and for a long time there was nothing to replace it. [These] values that existed [before] changed dramatically with the missionaries and government. [We need to] teach...who you are."

This is one of the quotes I found in Alaska, which sums up the cultural shock the natives went through. Before Russians and European explorers set their feet in Alaska, mainly southern Alaska, many native tribes lived there. Every tribe was wise. They had their traditions, cultures, values and way of living. Much of the Alaska was unexplored before US purchased it. These are some of the quotes from those native people who were affected by foreign settlers. Alaska Native Heritage Center and Anchorage Museum are excellent resources of this knowledge. I spent many hours at those two places, but it was not enough to understand and appreciate native Alaskan tribes and their culture. Below are few of the quotes I found there. Zoom in to read.

And this one is a bonus one, not from an Alaskan native but very well written.

Alaskan Wildlife: In Five Pics

Alaskan Wildlife is a major attraction when one visits Alaska. It was for me as well. Before going to Alaska I had an understanding that bears were the most dangerous of all animals found there, but I stood corrected as talked to citizens there. Not bear but moose I should be most afraid of. That was not because of some special skills, moose were just unpredictable. With more than 400 pounds of weight and big antler their reckless action could be threatening to us. In addition, around 800 moose leave within city limits of Anchorage. Nonetheless, I saw bear, moose, reindeer, dahl's sheep, sea lion, sea otter, caribou, salmon, bald eagle, mountain goat, and many other birds. I saw some of them in the zoo and conservatory, while some in wild. The nature was more balances in Alaska than any other part I have been to in the US. The native people understood this balance, as I heard one of the native whale hunter saying, "Whales are very large. One swish of its tail and our boat is gone. We don't hunt a whale, the whale allows us to be hunted so that we can feed ourselves." Enjoy the pictures.

One of the many bird from the coastal trail in Anchorage.

The sleepy bear posing for the camera.

A sea otter saying hi.

An island of sea lions.

First time seeing a pair of romantic swans.