This magnificent totem pole at the Native Heritage Center was in the section of the outdoor display devoted to the  Haida people. Buildings and other structures typical of Alaska's many tribes ring a large pond at the rear of the center.

The bird watching began before we met the group. We were charmed by the Black-billed Magpies that are common in Anchorage.

Even the birds are friendly in Alaska. This White-crowned swallow followed us along the trail as we made our first stop, Potter's Marsh, outside Anchorage.

The Exit Glacier glowed with an eerie blue inner light, even though the morning fog was dense. It is the culmination or the 3-mile "river of ice" that flows from the Harding Ice Field. The 3/4-mile walk from the parking lot yielded some interesting small bird sightings.

A two-hour stop at the Alaska Native Heritage Center was just enough to see the fascinating exhibits, inside and out, of native tribes throughout Alaska.

Our morning trip on the Kenai Fjords the next day was cut short when the ship came to a crunching stop, giving a couple of the 100 passengers some bad bumps.. Once we realized we were not sinking, we relaxed, waiting to be transferred to another ship for a wonderful full-day's tour. The situation was well-handled.

Our continued cruise was filled with sightings of many birds and other creatures, as well as the breath-taking calving Aialik glacier, below. We saw two kinds of puffins, numerous other seabirds, including the kittywakes at their rookery above. Stellar's sea lions lounge on rock in front.

In addition to this Dall's porpoise, swimming just under water, we saw several humpback whales and a pod of orcas, pictured in the title illustration.

Leaving Seward, we stopped at Tern Lake, and saw, naturally, a number of Arctic Terns and a Common Loon.