Alaska 2017
Gary and Carol visited southeast Alaska July 25 to August 2, 2017, on an amazing trip led by Alaskan photographer Ron Niebrugge aboard Ben Swanson’s classic yacht Discovery. We sailed from Juneau for eight glorious days in the waters of Southeast Alaska. Everywhere the scenery was spectacularly beautiful, whether in grey mist or brilliant sun.
Our 87-foot classic fantail yacht, Discovery, was built in 1931 and has been beautifully maintained and enhanced by her devoted owner and captain Ben Swanson. She is gorgeous, with teak decks and fine mahogany paneling, comfortable cabins, and lots of room to spread out and enjoy 360-degree views. Captain Ben has a charming personality and an infectious passion for wildlife and habitat, which he willingly shared with us, whether in the wheelhouse or on excursions to shore.
We, a group of nine photographers (some more serious than others, but all participated), were treated royally by our photographer leader Ron and the Discovery staff: Captain Ben Swanson, Second Captain Susi Zimmerman, deckhand Uncle Ted, and Chef Helgi Olafson. Oh, Helgi’s food (and Susi’s Pavlova) was unbelievably delicious. We were indeed pampered!
We visited tidewater glaciers in Tracy Arm and were treated to some glacier “calving.” In Frederick Sound and Chatham and Icy Straits we watched humpback whales blowing, breaching, lunging, and bubble-net feeding. The photographic challenge with whales was to capture this behavior, and we all rose to the occasion.
Especially wonderful were our visits to some of the best brown bear locations in the world on Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof Islands. Admiralty Island has long been considered to have the highest density of brown bears in the world, and here we watched them frolic and feed along the creek, and we hiked through the forest to the Pack Creek Bear Observatory tower. This was a special treat for Gary and Carol because we were there on Admiralty Island and at Pack Creek 27 years ago (!) with our sons Darren and Ryan—but that time we were flown in by float plane and kayaked and canoed, and camped on shore! On Chichagof Island, we anchored in gorgeous Pavlov Harbor and made two excursions to shore to see brown bears feeding at the river. Magical!
An unexpected treat for Carol was that she got to fish for halibut and salmon (after going online and getting a three-day Alaska fishing license!). Along with Ron and Larry, we caught enough halibut for a fabulous dinner and incredible fish-and-chips lunch. Very fun!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ron and Janine Niebrugge of Niebrugge Images, and to Captain Ben Swanson, Suzi Zimmerman, Uncle Ted and Chef Helgi Olafson of the Discovery for an absolutely fabulous trip, and to our fellow travelers and new-found friends we wish you “happy trails”!
Note: To see photos individually, click on the first photo and use arrows to move forward and backward. If you want to see any photo at full size, click on “View full size” on the bottom right of the screen to open that photo in your browser where you can save it to your computer.
Don’t miss the additional photo and the videos below this gallery.
Here is a photo taken by Ron Niebrugge of our fabulous group. (seated on the gunnel) Rich Pierce, Mary Ann Fernandez, Debra Rector, Chere Mortensen, Virgina Robbins, Carol and Gary Irwin, Larry Flinner, Susi Zimmerman, Ben Swanson, and Ron Niebrugge; (seated on the deck) Helgi Olafson, Bruce Whittaker, and Uncle Ted.
Cheers to all!
VIDEOS