SEA WOLF ADVENTURES

Hey wheelchair adventurers…Let’s go kayaking!

Kimber — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:17:28 +0000

Sea Wolf Adventures offers quality natural history cruises to people of all abilities that brings you into the wilderness areas where the larger vessels cannot navigate. Imagine exploring with 11 other like minded adventurers- scanning the beaches for wildlife, paddling across the front of majestic glaciers or sipping on a lovely Malbec while seated in the Sea Wolf’s heated aft deck which offers a 180 degree view. Sea Wolf recently won a National Park Service, National Award for Accessibility. To read the article, go to http://www.nps.gov/glba/parknews/2011-11-10.htm

So if you, a friend or family member is an active wheelchair or mobility impaired adventurer please consider exploring with us-we promise safe and fun adventure! We are offering a special 2012 rate for wheelers with companions.

Sea Wolf Adventures featured …

Kimber — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:19:29 +0000

National Parks Traveler web magazine has featured 2 articles and one podcast on Sea Wolf Adventure’s Glacier Bay, Alaska cruising adventures. Kurt Repanshek sailed with us last year in amazing Glacier Bay. The podcast and articles are about his adventures on the Sea Wolf .
The NP Traveler is a wonderful magazine focusing on you guessed it-National Parks. The articles are informative, well written and from the writers first hand personal adventures. Thank you Kurt-we enjoyed adventuring with you!
Here are the links:

Article on the Sea Wolf
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2012/02/discriminating-explorer-visiting-glacier-bay-national-park-and-preserve-mothership9434

Podcast and slideshow:
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/podcast/2012/discriminating-explorer-touring-glacier-bay-national-park-and-preserve-sea-wolf9444?type=mov

May is just around the corner.

Kimber — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:18:57 +0000

Oh my gosh, is it true that spring is just around the corner? Mark and Dianna and I are busy planning our haul out to get the Sea Wolf ready for the season. We are all crewed up with several many seasoned crew and a few new faces. Check out our crew page- I am proud to say we have gone almost all local Alaskan . NOAA says we are going to have a warm and dry summer but I would pack my fleece and rain gear just in case. We have had several summers where we were all sporting a tan by June so there is a chance. May is such a special month in Glacier Bay- It is the Springtime Emergence. There are huge flocks of birds migrating up to the north and west, over 325 species pass through Glacier Bay. A little over 120 species will stay here to nest. Bears are down low on the beaches grazing on fresh sedges and grasses- getting their digestive systems all geared up after their winter denning. Mountain goats have just kidded and those little white kids scamper along the cliff faces. Sometimes that makes my heart flinch as they leap across crevasses that seem impossible to clear at their few days of age. The Humpback whales are coming back from their breeding and calving grounds, feeding voraciously to refill their energy resources. We rarely see another boat as the non locals start later… let’s keep it secret that May is awesome. Here are some photos from Mays of the past. We have a few openings in May so check out our schedule.

May 29-June 3 Glacier Bay Adventure

Kimber — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:27:13 +0000

Another great adventure in Glacier Bay. Bears, Bears and more bears. At Marjorie Glacier as we were paddling through ice along the bird rookery we spotted a large object tumbling down a very steep cliff face. We paddled a bit further out and as it came into view it was a brown bear who was desperately trying to keep his footing. He barely kept his front feet in front of the back feet in this somewhat out of control descent which ended with a big splash into the sea about 100 feet off of our kayaks. Then a quick swim to an area where he could get back up the cliff at a mad scramble. An amazing sight for sure. 54 species of birds, marmarines (another story for another day), leaping humpback whales were just some of our sightings.

May 2011 “Conservation in Focus” Adventure!

Kimber — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:12:20 +0000

This was an amazing adventure- Great Photographic coaching by Bob Roszinski & Wendy Shattil , fun journaling and art instruction by Marilyn, our shipboard naturalist and artist deckhand and the incredible flora, fauna and vista’s of Glacier Bay. We explored the East Arm, West Arm and the outer coast just as spring was peeping through the last shades of winter. We paddled over tide pools, hiked alongside massive glaciers and enjoyed a myriad of wildlife from the boat. Great pictures and video were shot by Cloud Ridge Naturalists participants.

Glacier Bay Humpback Whale Report

Kimber — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:07:25 +0000

192 Humpback whales in Glacier Bay and Icy straits in 2010. We sure had some amazing whale sightings. We counted 27 breaches by one whale and I saw my first ever 4 whales breaching at one time. Of course I did not have my camera. Click below to read the whole report.

Humpback whale report from Glacier Bay National Park.

June is glorious in Glacier Bay, Alaska

Kimber — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:21:24 +0000

June is a wonderful time to visit Glacier Bay. The weather is quite lovely with crisp clear air scented with spring. Bears are down low on the beaches feeding on succulent fresh sedges and intertidal creatures. This is when we start to see cubs out with their moms playing in the willows. All the whales are back from Hawaii and and feeding in the nutrient rich waters that course through Icy Straits and Glacier Bay. We had over 165 whales last year and that is not counting the Orcas or Minkes. This is the start of the spring bloom-Lupine, Paintbrush, Chocolate Lily, Wild Iris, Ladies Slippers and Woodland Violets are just a few of the flora blanketing the mountainsides and perfuming the valleys. We still have June openings so come explore, discover and learn with Sea Wolf Adventures.

Flight of the Tufted Puffin

Kimber — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:09:36 +0000

Tufted Puffins are active at their nest colonies during the day and can often be seen sitting on rocks in an upright posture. Once airborne, they fly well but they need a running start to take flight. They dive and swim underwater, using their wings to paddle and their feet to steer their way through schools of small fish, which they catch in their bills. They can be seen carrying fish crosswise in their bills (sometimes 12 or more), which they take back to their young. Studies have also shown other reasons why natural selection favored small, pointed wings in many aquatic birds. Apparently birds with small, pointed wings are adept at high-speed, long-distance flight, essential for rapid movement between habitats. But, small, pointed wings cannot generate lift at low speed, so rapid vertical takeoffs are impossible. This is not a big problem for most diving birds because their open aquatic habitats prevent close approach by undetected predators. In addition, when the birds slow down to land, their small wings stall easily and lose lift. Fortunately, high-speed hard landings are more acceptable on water than on land. Here is a takeoff sequence. We see them on our adventures at their nesting areas or out at sea.

Week one of haul out over-Whew!

Kimber — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:44:03 +0000

Well the team is all assembled and the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op is assisting me in running the show. Boat is mostly prepped for painting by Neil, Joshua and Lee. Keith and Crystal are working the long list of engineering projects and preparation for the season. Dianna is prepping some showers and the house for painting and varnishing. Roberto, Chris & Jeff have worked on the new bow ramp, deck repairs and figuring out how to swap out an old 600 pound range for a new one. Me well, I write the checks and have all the fun talking to guests who are excited about their Alaska Adventure- that is the best job. We are testing to see how this blog will transfer to facebook. Relevant Arts has been amazing in setting up these links and in getting the website functioning much better. They are awesome designers both from the quality of work and great personalities to work with. Thanks to everyone for their hard work and dedication! Here is a fun Glacier Bay picture . Soon to come haul out photos.

May-September Weather in Glacier Bay

Kimber — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:25:55 +0000

Glacier Bay’s weather is greatly influenced by the N. Pacific ocean currents, mountains and the rivers of glacial ice that cascade down the mountain sides. If we have misty rain down bay then many times when we get up bay there is a giant sucker hole of blue over the glaciers to enjoy a sunny paddle. Each fjord you slip into can offer its own weather pattern. I love May, June, Late August and September-crisp, cool, so very few people, returning whales, bears grazing on the intertidal and less chance of rain. Late June, July and August offer spectacular wildflower blooms, scrumptious berries, cavorting whales and bears foraging on the hillsides. Sockeye, Pink and finally the Coho salmon start pooling up in front of streams waiting for the summer rains that give them the fresh and higher waters that they need to make their way upstream to spawn. We are a rainforest and need rain for this fragile ecosystem to flourish-so rain is welcome, although my dream 24 hours is a sunny 65 degree day and a gentle soaking rain while we sleep. So if you are dressed for the weather, layered clothing and good rain gear, it is all wonderful!