Cruising Alaska

The Safari Explorer discovers fins, fur, feathers and fun in the Inland Passage

By Sandra Kennedy

The Times, Oct 8, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Courtesy of American Safari Cruises / Times Newspapers

The scenery is awe-inspiring aboard the 145-foot Safari Explorer.

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"Starboard, humpback whales,” said Captain Scottie over the intercom. All 20 guests abandoned activities such as brushing teeth, pouring the first cup of coffee and raced to the bow.

Huge sprays of vapor plume shot into the air creating a loud “whooshing” sound. Foghorn-like noises followed as three humpback whales dove beneath the surface. One by one, their tails rose and slapped the surface.

Eight days in September held excitement for my husband, Bill, and I as we ventured with American Safari Cruises into Alaska’s Inland Passage. Our vessel, the 145-foot Safari Explorer is aptly named. A small ship, the captain gets us “up close and personal” with remote glacier fjords, bays and inlets.

Our odyssey begins

We assembled in the Hotel Goldbelt’s lobby, in Juneau. Our shipmates came from Australia, Texas, Washington, D.C., California and Oregon. We boarded a bus to nearby Douglas Island. Our guide explained about the gold mining history of the area.

Next stop, the Safari Explorer. Our group of 20 was enthusiastically welcomed by each crewmember, followed by champagne and appetizers. On board, we met the exuberant owner, Dan Blanchard.

Afterward, we were escorted to our cozy cabin and shown the amenities of life aboard — our mariner stateroom, wine library, dining area, bar and salon, captain’s bridge (we could visit any time), hot tub, sauna, massage area, upper deck, exercise machines, kayaks and two skiffs that were towed behind our ship.

Glacier Bay National Park

One of many highlights was our visit to Glacier Bay National Park, a United Nations Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. Only a dozen tidewater glaciers remain from an ice-filled Glacier Bay of 250 years ago.

American Safari Cruises is the only company with a permit to stay two days in Glacier Bay. This is due to its relatively small size, quiet engines and observation of environmental regulations.

The Safari Explorer anchors each night. Our days consisted of following whale pods with binoculars, using kayaks, skiffs, hiking or even swimming. Yes, a few polar-bear-wannabes dove into the 34-degree waters and then sprang into the hot tub.

As we cruised, slippery kelp floated by, bearing bulbous heads. Several otters with their chestnut-brown eyes and straw-like whiskers peered our way as we neared Point Adolphus. Our cruise continued among a granite archipelago, the Inian Islands, known for birds and marine mammals.

The second morning, we picked up Ranger Randy Thomas at Bartlett Cove, headquarters for the national park. He stayed onboard for two days. Even without binoculars, he had the eye of a hawk in spotting creatures. With his Arkansas lilt, he enlightened us about wildlife and the wilderness. He referred to Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” and stated, “We are altering the climate.”

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