Living with Cruise Ships (Part 1)

Recently, Judy, a blog follower, asked about cruise ships in our view shed.

She asked: “… how do the cruise ships interfere with your Internet reception? [I sent her the link to The Mysteries of Cellular Internet Explained.] And how often do the ships pass by your homestead cabin: every day, several ships? Can you actually wave at the passengers on the top deck of the ships? And do you look at the cruise ships as an intrusion and/or a welcome from civilization?”
—Curious Judy

I know a post cue when I read it, and I blew Judy’s questions off until I could write this post, and take some new photos of cruise ships. And, I see right now, this will have to be a multi-part post. Cruise ships impact our lives a lot!

Celebrity Solstice in Lynn Canal

The Celebrity Solstice heads south past our homestead (Photo: Michelle L. Zeiger).

Also, I should point out that this post series represents my personal opinions on and understanding of the cruise industry. It may not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, or statistics of Alaska’s tourist industry!

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Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw

A recent event involving the tour company Michelle and Aly work for, Rainbow Glacier Adventures, compels me to rethink an event from about five years ago.

Apparently, some of the guides stopped along the Haines Highway to join a group of people watching the Chilkat River. A very young moose calf hunkered down on a sand bar, alone.

The people told the guides that they had watched a cow moose give birth to the calf, then leave it on the sand bar, swimming away. As they watched, people driving a large, loud motor home pulled up to see what was going on. At that point, the calf got up and entered the river, eventually swimming to the near shore.

Maybe the crowd gathering during the birthing had frightened the mother moose. Or, this may have been her first calf, and she simply didn’t know what to do. Maybe they reunited on the river bank later? More likely, the calf was abandoned. As a new born, even one that managed to swim across the river, its life expectancy could probably be estimated in hours.

This all seemed familiar to me. Too familiar . . . .

moose calf

The moose calf on a Chilkat River sandbar (Photo: Kim Clune)

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