Cruise West BlogErasmus! Who is Erasmus Darwin?May 14, 2010 at 2:23 PM by Site "Organic life beneath the shoreless waves
Was born and nurs'd in ocean's pearly caves;
First forms minute, unseen by spheric glass,
Move on the mud, or pierce the watery mass;
These, as successive generations bloom,
New powers acquire and larger limbs assume;
Whence countless groups of vegetation spring,
And breathing realms of fin and feet and wing."
Erasmus Darwin. The Temple of Nature. 1802. read more... Tags: Galapagos
Comments (0) The Salmon Forest!May 12, 2010 at 7:45 PM by SiteConservationist, David Suzuki popularized the term “Salmon Forest.” 
When we step into the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest we may or may not spot a salmon stream with spawning salmon. We are though, looking at the work of countless salmon before us.Scientist can scale the very tops of 6-8 hundred year old Douglas Firs and other old growth species and take clippings for scientific analysis. What they find are the simple elements one would expect. Among them, carbon and nitrogen atoms. What is amazing is scientists can trace the source of these nutrients directly to salmon that have migrated from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. How can they do this? read more... Tags: Salmon,Forest
Comments (0) Our Morbid Curiosity – Humans and Humpbacks Alike!May 11, 2010 at 6:33 PM by Site We spot orca or killer whales on our ships in Alaska about 50% of the time. Not bad odds! We nearly always spot humpback whales on each trip if not everyday! Killer Whales are found throughout the world’s oceans from the Antarctic to the Mediterranean, Sea of Cortés and Alaska. There are many subspecies throughout the world with unique and interesting behaviors adapted to hunting prey in each region of the world.
In the Pacific Northwest we see resident killer whales that predate on salmon and transient killer whales that predate on almost all marine mammals from harbor porpoise to minke whales. Occasionally there are reports of killer whales taking down humpback or grey whales. In most instances these individuals were probably sick and weak calves. read more... Tags: humpback whales killer whale,
Comments (0) The Tlingit People Of Southeast AlaskaMay 10, 2010 at 12:18 PM by Site The Tlingit people are historically the largest native group in what is now Southeast Alaska. They were the most fierce and sophisticated native group in North America before the arrival of Europeans. The reason for these two distinguishing characteristics is clear and simple. The natural resources of the Pacific Northwest forests and rich marine community made survival and gathering food very easy. These factors combined with the temperate climate made for ideal living conditions. The Tlingit due to relative easy living had spare time to endeavor in the arts and create sophisticated cultural rituals. Comparatively, the native populations of what is now the interior of Canada, froze and starved during the winter. read more... Tags: TlingitAlaska
Comments (0) The History of Ice in the Pacific Northwest and BeyondMay 9, 2010 at 4:01 PM by Site On our cruises throughout the Pacific Northwest we see signs and remnants of the last great ice age everywhere. Puget Sound, where Seattle is located, was carved out by a massive wall of ice. The stunning Columbia River Gorge was carved out by multiple flash floods released from glacial lakes in Montana as the ice receded over ten thousand years ago. While in Alaska we explore some of the most dramatic scenery in the world, Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay where tidewater glaciers are still found and continue to scour the landscape. Guests often inquire if we see the effects of climate change on these glaciers and if they are receding?read more... Tags: Glaciers
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