Pods of whales can make the ocean seem to boil at times.

miling at the videocam, Judi wishes me a "Happy 29th Anniversary." Behind her, a rolling mist slowly lifts to reveal the historical buildings of Juneau, Alaska. Behind me, our elegant four-year old cruise ship, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' Rhapsody of the Seas seems oddly out of place moored to the wooden pier. We're taking an afternoon expedition on board a smaller craft to view the wildlife that call Alaska home.

Nature puts on a show
"Oooooooh," we sing in unison as a pod of Orcas makes its graceful debut onto the mist-shrouded scene. Camera shutters whir in rapid succession as we try to capture award-winning photos. In fact, we are told, it is very rare to see these giants of the sea in this area.

Sometimes called the 'wolf of the sea', Orcas live in small, close-knit, life-long pods and can reach speeds up to 48 kph. Members of the pod hunt together in a very sophisticated manner, attacking even very large prey and then sharing it. Their diet includes fish, squid, sharks, marine mammals, turtle, octopi and even birds.

A little further along, a pod of humpback whales take centre stage. Like Orcas, these acrobats of the ocean cooperate in feeding and have developed a method of rounding up highly concentrated masses of prey. The process is known as 'bubble-net feeding' and we've stumbled upon such a moment.

Alaska boasts the largest eagle population in the world.

Hunting members of a pod form a circle measuring 10 to 100 feet across and about 50 feet deep. Then the humpbacks blow a wall of bubbles as they swim to the surface in a spiral path. The cylindrical wall of bubbles makes the trapped krill, planton and/or small fish move to the surface of the water in a giant, concentrated mass. The humpbacks then gulp down a large, hearty meal.

"Watch the birds," our guide tells us as we wait to snap a pod of 11 humpbacks, each weighing 40 tons, rise out of the water with mouths wide open. "Birds drop to the water just before the whales break surface."

To add to our experience, our guide lowers a microphone into the sea. As we listen to the symphony of sounds emitted by these gentle giants, we watch the perfectly timed ballet, in which the cast of characters repeat the feeding sequence over and over again as if to ensure we do not leave disappointed.

Later, we roar with laughter when we come upon sea otters resting on a buoy. While most lounge lazily on the first level of the buoy, one has somehow managed to elevate itself to a second level which is quite a bit higher. Meanwhile, from their tree-top perches, bald-headed eagles monitor the rugged territory.

A glacier walk

Just four years old, the elegant Rhapsody of the Seas adds new meaning to 'luxury'.

Our next port of call, Skagway, looks much as it did at the turn of the century. A number of excursions are available here, including a helicopter tour to a glacier.

Our pilot takes us to a remote location about 15 minutes away where he deposits us on a glacier in the hands of a capable guide.

Clad in moonboots and bright orange vests, we watch our helicopters disappear from view and turn our attention to our guide. "About half a millennium ago, glaciers moved through here creating the moraine you see on either side of us. Today, the glacier continues to churn up the earth and to create crevices as it twists and turns its way down the mountain slopes."

Glaciers occur when snow accumulation is greater than the melt. In the summer months, snowflakes transform into granular ice crystals which meld with others to form dense glacial ice, one layer for each year. As layers of ice accumulate on the mountaintop, the pressure increases and they start to move downhill following the path of least resistance, forming great folds and deep cracks like rapids in a river. The upper hundred feet of a glacier's depth is brittle and deep cracks called crevices form on the surface. We gingerly step towards a crevice which, according to our guide, has grown substantially in the last week.

All too soon, the distant sound of whirlybirds breaks the quiet. It's time to return to Skagway and our home on the sea.

Glacial ice appears blue due to the physical characteristics of water molecules which absorb all colours except the colour blue which is reflected.

From our private balcony
And so it goes for a week. Port after port, we observe Mother Nature at her best, sometimes up close, sometimes from the comfort of the private balcony outside our stateroom.

An Alaska cruise is geared to those who admire and wish to indulge in pristine beauty that is rugged and unspoiled, while they enjoy all the amenities of home and the elegance and fine dining of a luxury hotel. And the Rhapsody of the Seas delivers it all in grand style.

Its kids' programs, geared to all age groups, make this cruise particularly popular with three-generational families. There are shore excursions to suit every age group. A variety of restaurants offer a choice of formal or casual dining and the on-board entertainment is non-stop. Between shore excursions and meals, on-board activities include spa treatments, a fitnesss centre, art auctions, demonstrations, a casino and dancing.

The itinerary is never hectic however. Rather, it's a restful cruise that brings you close to nature, with plenty of time for yourself and each other.

The Rhapsody of the Seas Alaska Cruise is available through Encore Cruises and Air Canada Vacations at Canadian prices. Our cruise departed from Vancouver, and stopped at Juneau, Skagway, Haines, the Hubbard Glacier, and Ketchikan, before returning to Vancouver. Although it was July, temperatures remained around 60º F or 15º C. It's best to wear layers and comfortable running or hiking shoes on shore excursions. For the most part, suggested attire for dining is casual, however, plan for a couple of evenings where formal dress and dinner jacket and tie are suggested.

Back to top