Since arriving in Alaska in early 2015 one thing I’ve been absolutely keen to do is see the beluga whales at Beluga Point. Just a few miles south of Anchorage proper, along the Seward Highway, there is a turn off near an outcropping of stone where -rumor had it – you could see beluga whales.
I’ve seen belugas before. They’re small, white whales seen frequently in aquariums or Arctic documentaries. They’re called the Canaries of the Sea… and they are darn hard to catch!
In 2015 I didn’t see a single beluga whale. So I was bound and determined to see the belugas this year.
Last Sunday a friend sent me a picture… there were belugas at Beluga Point! Thus begun the week-long quest to be at the point when the whales were. I tracked tides. I drove down in rain and fog. I was worried the whales would slip away again.
Sunday was beautiful: warm, bright, and sunshiny. The perfect weather for an evening drive down the coast soaking up the last of summer. The kids climbed on the rocks. We watched the current swirl and eddy as the tide flowed back to see. We saw an otter… but no whales.
Just as we were getting to leave someone else spotted a spout in the distance… the whales were swimming out to sea! Everyone clambered around, first to the east and inlet, then to the west and the sun. Climbing over rocks and slipping along the mud until we saw the whales on the horizon. Beautiful white whales, rolling in the sunbeams and waves.
The top picture is the closest I came to getting an actual photograph. You’ll have to take my word for it: those ripples are whale ripples.
If you ever come up to Alaska, try to make it down to the point. Even on a cloudy day the views are some of the best in Anchorage.
