When you fly over it, it reaches to the horizon and seems boundless. The huge mass of snow builds up tremendous weight and compresses underlying layers into ice. Thousands of pairs nest along the coastline here. Some orcas live in this area year round, while others move in and out. The humpbacks spend a third of their lives migrating from the warm Hawaiian waters in which they are born north to Alaska in summer where they feed in the plankton and crill-rich Alaskan waters.
Humpbacks can consume a ton a food a day.
It's easy to see why they can grow to 40 feet long and weigh 30-40 tons. Contentedly sprawled atop jagged rocky cliffs, we were able to observe them unimpeded. Large males can weigh up to a ton and females average 650 pounds. The cruise proved a bird lovers' bonanza. And for puffin enthusiasts, it was a particular treat.