The Scenery

The Valdez Arm of Prince William Sound is one of the most beautiful places on earth.   Famous for the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the area has recovered very well.   I have never seen a trace of the oil disaster. Jack's Bay is one of the first small inlets right outside the Valdez Narrows, about 12 miles from the oil terminal.

Typical of many of the bays of Prince William Sound, Jack's Bay is surrounded by fantastic peaks covered with glaciers and thick foliage.

The millions of Pink Salmon that return to Valdez Arm each year are mostly Salmon hatched by local fishermen at the commercial hatchery at Allison Point.   These Salmon are available to the public as well as the commercial fishermen. Here a commercial fisherman pulls in a bountiful load of Pink Salmon.

The sea water in Valdez Arm is bluish in color due to the silt laden rivers which feed it.

Early morning in the narrows of Valdez Arm can be beautiful.   The fog can sometimes obscure these mountains for hours, then suddenly lift to reveal this fantastic scenery.

Neva took this photo of the Sun burning off the morning clouds in Jack's Bay on a beautiful July day in 2005. The bays around Valdez are the most beautiful marine location I have found in Alaska.

The Columbia Glacier is a popular destination for sight-seeing Charters out of Valdez. From the vantage of the Cessna 180F the precipice of this magnificent Glacier is a spectacular sight.

Just as we flew over a huge wall of ice calved off the face of the Glacier. This photo shows the waves forming from the aftermath.

The power from this enormous Glacier is amazing.  Giant waves crash against the rocks from the calving Glacier. It is easier to understand how these rivers of ice have been such a powerful force in the geology of Alaska after witnessing one in action.

The Columbia Glacier creates icebergs that flow for miles out into Prince William sound from this terminus.