TOP THREE: ALASKAN WILDLIFE |
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Bald eagles Hear the shrill‘ eek-eek-eek-eek’ sound, like the repeating chirp of a squeaky bicycle wheel? That’ s an eagle( the‘ skree’ sound so often used for eagles in movies is actually the dubbed-over voice of a hawk). Mature bald eagles are surprisingly easy to spot while roosting; their white head looks like a golf ball stuck in a tree. |
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images: alamy; awl images |
VALDEZ
Valdez may be one of the smallest ports Viking Venus calls at, but it looms remarkably large in Alaska’ s history. It first sprang to life as a tent city, populated by eager gold prospectors who’ d been lured in by stories of a fictitious route over Valdez Glacier and into Interior Alaska. They arrived expecting an established trail but were met with raw wilderness instead.
That original townsite was destroyed in 1964, with searing loss of life, by a tsunami from the magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake— the second-largest earthquake ever recorded. The people of Valdez rebuilt their town in a more stable and protected position, only to endure another disaster
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Fisherman with the
catch of the day,
Valdez, Alaska
as, some 25 years later, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on a nearby reef and spilled 11 million gallons of oil into the waters of Prince William Sound. These days, the casual observer would never see the marks of that tragic past, but Valdez’ s small, city-run museums excel at showcasing the community’ s place amid all that history.
The most exciting destination in town has to be Solomon Gulch Hatchery, where thousands of fish swarm home to spawn— and sea lions, bears and other wildlife often congregate to feed on all those fish. There’ s also a chance of seeing bears at the Crooked Creek Salmon Spawning Area, just a short distance up the road.
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Humpback whales Bus-sized behemoth or ballerina of the sea? Humpback whales are both, and it’ s thrilling to see( and hear) their spouting exhalations as they surface to breathe, then flash their tail flukes as they dive. Sometimes, they also breach, launching their entire body out of the water like a rocket before splashing back down again.
Brown bears Brown bears may be the apex predators on land, but they’ re also dyed-in-the-wool clowns, especially when they’ re taking advantage of salmon runs so abundant, they’ re the ursine equivalent of a free 24 / 7 takeout service. With not a single worry about finding food when the fish are running, these intelligent beasts are able to showcase their larger than life personalities.
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winter 2025 • 69 |