Pictures from Prince William Sound, in southcentral, Alaska.
I first experienced Prince William Sound, in Southcentral Alaska, when working for the State of Alaska Department of Conservation Oil Spill Response Division, following the Exxon Oil spill in 1989. Since then, I’ve been back almost ever year, and usually, a number of times a year. It is a magnificent place of both scenic beauty…
Cordova, Alaska hosts the Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival, which happens annually in early May, timed to coincide with the great migration of many birds that utilize the Delta as a refueling and staging location. This year, the large groups of Western Sandpipers that often congregate at Hartney Bay, were only found in small groups. They may…
The snow keeps falling Fairbanks, with about 6-7 inches of fresh snow over the last day or so. Spring seems far away. As I prepare for a few days in the Copper River Delta region for the Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival, I pulled this picture out of my archive, taken a few years ago.…
Surprise glacier flows out of the Chugach mountains which border Prince William Sound to the north. It is a tidewater glacier and frequently calves ice chunks into Surprise Inlet which then drift out into Harriman Fjord. Along the top edge of the glacier terminus are some finger like seracs that will soon fall into the…
While cruising across the oil tanker shipping lane in northern Prince William Sound, I grabbed this shot of the “Polar Enterprise” oil tanker entering the Valdez Arm. It looks like I was a lot closer but the photo was taken with an equivalent of a 910mm lens. The man on the bow called the “watchman”…
The beaches of the outer perimeter of the Copper River Delta, in southcentral Alaska, are broad and sandy. They open to the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific ocean, so weather can be tumultuous on its shores. On this pleasant day, I did some flying over the Copper River Delta region and we made a…
Growing up in the land-locked Midwest, and then living in the interior of Alaska for years, fresh seafood is rare for me. However, during a recent visit to Prince William Sound, a local fishermen was showing us his freshly caught spot shrimp (the largest shrimp of the west coast). They were as strikingly marked as…
Below are two common marine mammals found along the shores of Prince William Sound. Over the years I’ve gathered a collection of photos of the harbor seal and the Steller sea lion, mainly in the Sound. They are generally approachable, although the seals are bit more shy and require a slow and quite approach. Both…
Following a few days in the Copper River Delta, situated on the Eastern edge of Prince William Sound, and then 7 days on a boat throughout the islands of the Sound itself, I returned with handful of memorable photos. The weather in the Sound was nearly cloudless and sunny. If you know my take on…
The male harlequin duck is a distinctively marked, and colorful bird in its breeding plumage. We have seen hundreds of them on the voyage in Prince William Sound, although they are a bit wary from an approaching skiff. They seem to be a little less shy when they are in the interior rivers of Alaska…