Health And HealingIn Alaska
Part Two - Whales, Waterfalls, Hot Springs and Glacier Lakes
by Barbara Howard
MindBodyTravel.com
The first time I heard the hauntingly beautiful songs of the humpback whales, was on the Judy Collins album, Whales and Nightingales, released in 1970. The whales' songs vibrated throughout my heart and soul, touching me within as nothing else ever had. And now, here I was in wild Alaska, where I actually would see humpback whales and hear their songs, live!
Captain Dennis Rogers called everyone on deck to watch for whales. We sighted a group of whales "bubbling", which is the way humpback whales hunt as a team and feed together. As each whale dove (in what later seemed a preset, agreed-upon order), we counted eight flukes. After about two minutes, Dennis told us to look for a ring of bubbles in the distance, because that is where the whales would emerge from the water. We squinted and watched, and then suddenly, Randy yelled, "Over there!" As he pointed, we turned just in time to see the whales burst straight up out of the water all together, mouths open! Spectacular!
According to the sonar reading, we were over a school of herring; the whales would probably continue hunting. Dennis dropped a microphone in the water so we could listen to the whales through the onboard speaker. Soon, the whales regrouped, dove in, and bubbled again; and again; and again. Each time, we heard the leader trumpet out the call for the whales to line up and begin the circling. The call intensified, became gradually higher in pitch, got louder and louder and faster and faster heading for a climax, until once again we would see the ring of bubbles. Then the whales splashed up out of the water! Each time we would hear what seemed like satisfied groans from the whales before they regrouped and started again.
Dennis explained that the whales swim around the fish in circles, and as the lead whale calls, the others tighten up the circles and start blowing air creating a basket of bubbles forcing the fish to the surface. Then they gather together beneath the catch, swim up with their mouths open, and burst out of the water filling up with fish. If the bubbling doesn't work out, the lead whale calls it off and they start over. We watched and listened for hours until it was time to move on.
As we left the whales to their feeding frenzy, it was time for us to feed. John Pisto, chef and restaurateur from Monterey, California, was onboard and he presented healthy cuisine and recipes throughout the trip. He prepared an incredibly light and delicious healthy pasta dish with our fresh catch of shrimp. John shared his cooking techniques for shrimp along with his favorite wine suggestions. I offered to take still shots while his cameraman, Patrick, filmed the meal preparation for John's upcoming TV show, "Cookin' Pisto Style." John also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column.
That afternoon we docked in Baronof. We learned that we could take a short hike up past a beautiful waterfall to a glacier lake and warm springs. Emilie and I walked up to the lake which was like a jewel nestled in the mountains, and decided to take a dip in the ice-cold water. Talk about refreshing! Then we walked down to the warm springs, a series of pools which sat right next to the waterfall. We sank into the hot pools and I could feel my body drinking in the minerals. As we went back and forth from the hot pools to a cold pool alongside the roaring falls, we were totally rejuvenated by the water, the minerals and the negative ions.
After two days on the boat, I was glad to have my feet on the earth and I spent some time exploring the area before getting back on board for a hot shower. A few group members kayaked around the bay and up to the falls before sunset. We had worked up an appetite and sat down to another delicious dinner, of you guessed it, wild Alaska seafood.
That night as I lay in my berth, I gazed out my little window at the Big Dipper in the sparkling Alaska sky. The call of the whales echoed in my mind. I felt an even deeper connection to wild Alaska through the hauntingly beautiful, songs of the humpback whales.
Next time: Meteor Showers, Fishing and the Health Benefits of Omega 3s
© 2004 Barbara Howard
Fulfill your most passionate healthy travel desires and educational quests today with a meaningful, learning vacation! Mindbodytravel is now registering people for the Total Health and Healing Alaska Cruise, September 2005. Go to www.mindbodytravel.com, or call 1-800-874-1996. Plan now to see Alaska!
Learn more about fresh, wild Alaska salmon: www.vitalchoice.com
John Pisto: www.pisto.com
Barbara Howard can be reached at writermarketer1@yahoo.com
See the complete Healthy Travel archives at www.mindbodytravel.com/healthytravel.html
Note: I received inquiries about the email I received which was a request to bless the waters on the planet. Last week, I saw the movie "What The Bleep Do We Know?" http://whatthebleep.com and I looked up the water study from the film and amazingly found the source of the email! "We have a vision that on this day, our Earth will be filled with beautiful golden/silver light of Love and Thanks that is flowing from the hearts of each and every one of us. Golden/silver light is the highest vibration in the range of visible light, and it will heal and cleanse all the water on earth, be it water of the ocean or that of our own body." - http://www.thank-water.net/english/