The light returns! This image of a mountain peak in the Chilkat Range in Alaska illustrates the month of November in the 2024 Alaska Calendar . Purchase your favorite Mark Kelley calendar in Juneau stores or at markkelley.com. Thank you for visiting and for the gift of your time. Enjoy – Camera: Nikon #D850, Lens 24-70mm, Digital Capture, […]
Inside Passage
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, Alaska’s Inside Passage #3359
Mountain goats visit the shoreline in Tracy-Arm Fords Terror Wilderness. This image illustrates the month of June in the 2024 Alaska Calendar. Purchase your favorite Mark Kelley calendar in Juneau stores or online at markkelley.com. Thank you for visiting and for the gift of your time. Enjoy – Camera: Nikon #D850, Lens 24-70mm, Digital Capture, ©Mark Kelley
Mendenhall Glacier, Thunder Mountain, Juneau, Alaska #3358
The view from Thunder Mountain overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier is one of my all-time favorite views in Juneau, Alaska. This image illustrates the month of July in the 2024 Alaska Calendar. Purchase your favorite Mark Kelley calendar in Juneau stores or online at markkelley.com. Thank you for visiting and for the gift of your time. Enjoy […]
Sitka, Alaska #3357
An all-time Mark Kelley favorite! With all the many requests for this photo we just had to bring this Sitka image back. Sitka is a small island community located on the Sitka Sound. This image illustrates the month of August in the 2024 Alaska Calendar . Purchase your favorite Mark Kelley calendar in Juneau stores, at […]
Sunset, Out the road, Juneau, Alaska #3356
I am a sucker for sunsets. I always shoot them, yet most fizzle out. But, when the light is going bonkers, I go into a full-throttle rush chasing the light hoping to catch the peak moment with the right background. I got this one overlooking Lynn Canal and the Chilkat Range from the Juneau road […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3354
I took this photo in May just after the winter ice disappeared from Mendenhall Lake. Right after break-up, the water level in the lake is usually very low. The glacier’s ice is coming out of a deep winter freeze and just beginning to thaw starting the process of refilling the lake. The low water level […]
Humpback Whales, Alaska #3353
Humpback whales are for the most part rather solitary mammals except for when they are bubble-net feeding. I have counted as many as fifteen humpbacks participating in a bubble-net feeding event. It amazes me how these school-bus-sized mammals organize themselves underwater and are able to create multiple bubble-nets every five to ten minutes. This image […]
Humpback Whales, Alaska #3352
The best place in the world to see humpback whales bubble-net feeding is in the summer waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage. Bubble-net feeding is a cooperative humpback whale behavior. Humpback whales work together to locate and encircle a school of small fish, then blow a net of bubbles around their prey. The bubble-net corrals the fish into a tight group. […]
Coastal Brown Bears, Anan Creek, Wrangell, AK #3450
One my favorite wild places to photograph bears is Anan Creek, just a short boat ride out of Wrangell, Alaska. Anan is special because it supports one of the largest pink salmon runs in Southeast Alaska which in turn supports a lot of bears feasting in this flowing river of protein. The U.S. Forest Service […]
March Madness Alaska Style #3445
Sunset, Serenity, Lena, Shelter Island, Chilkats
Moon Set, Juneau, Alaska #3443
February’s full moon is known as the “snow moon” due to that month’s typically heavy snowfalls. According to the National Weather Service, on average February is the United States’ snowiest month. This “snow moon” sets over the Chilkat Mountains, Shelter Island and Lena Point and was shot in February 2021. I posted this image back then […]
Aurora Borealis, Juneau, Alaska #3439
It was an amazing night of northern lights storming over Auke Lake, Mt. McGinnis, and the Coast Mountains. Unlike the high arctic which is regularly awash in the aurora, many outsiders seem surprised to know that Juneau gets northern lights. I usually go out five to ten times a year hoping the shoot the lights […]
Glacier Blue Ice, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3438
I moved to Juneau in August 1979 to become the photojournalist the Juneau Empire, our local newspaper. One of my first assignments was a story on Tracy Arm and its Sawyer Glaciers. I was blown away while experiencing the blue ice majesty of this never-never land. During my 43 years of visiting this wonderland, I […]
Harbor Seal, Tracy Arm, South Sawyer Glacier, Alaska #3343
I love going to the South Sawyer Glacier basin in Tracy Arm to photograph harbor seals. The basin is one of the most productive seal pupping areas in Alaska’s Inside passage. During pupping season, from May through June, there are way too many seals in the basin to count. With that many animals in one […]
Black Bear Cubs, Anan Creek, Wrangell, Alaska #3441
Two black bear cubs hang out in a spruce tree while waiting for their mom who is fishing in Anan Creek for pink salmon. What’s special about Anan Creek is that it probably supports the largest wild pink salmon run along Alaska’s Inside Passage. This salmon run, in turn, supports a bear population of 35 […]
Mendenhall Glacier and Lake, Juneau, Alaska #3438
After 43 years of photographing Mendenhall Glacier, this photo rates as one of my most favorite images of the glacier. On this fall day, I waited for the sunrise to light up the Coast Range mountains behind the glacier but before the light actually lit the glacier face. Once the sun hits the glacier, the […]
Sliver Moon, Juneau, Alaska #3437
This summer in Juneau we have been enjoying many sunny days that drift into long lasting sunsets. I shot this image on July 2nd at almost exactly midnight when the dying embers of a fading sunset filled the sky and ocean with color. Thank you for visiting and the gift of your time. Enjoy – […]
Auke Recreation Area, Juneau, Alaska #3436
Alaska native canoes arrive at the Auke Recreation Area celebrating the informal start of Celebration 2022. Celebration first started in 1982 and is a biennial Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultural event. Approximately 1,200 dancers will perform during the four-day event at Centennial Hall, the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, and the new Sealaska Arts Campus. Events start on Wednesday, June 8th, and run through […]
Lynn Canal, Juneau, Alaska #3435
Dwarfed by the Chilkat Mountains, the Alaska Marine Highway’s 235-foot ferry, LeConte, cruises up Lynn Canal on its daily roundtrip between Auke Bay and Haines. Thank you for visiting and the gift of your time. Enjoy – Camera: #Nikon #D850, Lens: # Nikkor 80–400mm, Digital Capture, Hand Held ©Mark Kelley
Aurora Borealis , Juneau, Alaska #3434
Last Saturday night, April 4, Juneau experienced a stunning display of northern lights. The best of the lights happened between 10 and 11pm. I showed up just as the lights started to dwindle away and hung out for a long time south of downtown Juneau next to the Douglas Harbor hoping for some additional night […]
Bald Eagle Nest, Juneau, Alaska #3433
An eagle lands in its nest with fresh nesting materials of dry grass in its talons. Spring is coming fast in Juneau, Alaska, and March is the month eagles start sprucing up their nests to prepare for laying an egg sometime in April. Bald eagles are more abundant in Alaska than anywhere else in the […]
Amalga Harbor, Juneau,Alaska #3433
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! This image illustrates the month of December in my 2022 Juneau, Alaska Calendar.
Full Moon, Chilkat Mountains, Juneau,Alaska #3432
The last full moon of the year, also known as the Cold Moon, sets over the Chilkat Mountains in Alaska. Thank you for visiting and for the gift of your time. Happy Solstice – Camera: #Nikon #D850, Lens: # Nikkor 80—400.0 mm, Digital Capture, Tripod, ©Mark Kelley
Iceberg, LeConte Glacier, Alaska #3428
I have always wanted to photograph an iceberg with a sunset background. This is the closest I have come. The cold blue of the iceberg contrasts with the hot evening light breaking though a cloud burst. This lighting lasted for about ten minutes and then was gone. I love giving a scene some size reference, […]
Lion’s Head Mountain, Echo Cove, Juneau, Alaska #3427
This is one of my favorite images that I have shot in a long time. While I was shooting this huge scene some unknown person over a half a mile away walked into the image exactly where I needed a person. Twenty motor drive images in my camera later the person disappeared into the forest […]
Northern Lights, Douglas, Alaska #3426
The Juneau area celebrated some of the most amazing northern lights ever a couple weeks ago and I saw some incredible images on Facebook. I was traveling and very sorry to have missed those nights. A couple of years ago I got a great opportunity to shoot the northern lights over the Douglas Harbor. There […]
Humpback Whale, Inside Passage, Alaska #3425
An adult humpback leaps out of the ocean along the shore of Admiralty Island. This behavior is called “ whale breaching.” This 45- to 50-foot-long marine mammal lifts its 35- to 45-ton body almost entirely out of the water. I am always amazed at the unimaginable strength this must take. To me, this behavior is […]
Seiners, Amalga Harbor, Juneau, Alaska #3423
Purse seiners anchor in the Amalga Harbor area waiting for the annual chum salmon opening. The Douglas Island Pink & Chum (DIPAC) hatchery has a release site at Amalga Harbor. After the hatchery does their cost recovery fishery, DIPAC opens the area for a free-for-all purse seine fishery. The openings usually happen around the fourth […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3422
I visited the Mendenhall Glacier with good friends and we found this amazing surface lake on the ice. Glacier streams and sometimes small rivers can be found on the glacier surface in temperate climates. In places those streams can create lakes. These lakes often disappear just as quickly as they were created. Eventually, the water […]
Black Bears, Anan Wildlfie Observatory, Wrangell, AK #3419
A mom and cub black bear sneak by group of clueless photographers who have just left the viewing deck at the Anan Wildlife Observatory near Wrangell, Alaska. I have showed this image to a lot of people, and their reactions range from a small smile or a chuckle to an out right belly laugh. I […]
Alaska 2022 Calendar #3416
This 2022 Alaska Calendar marks the 27th annual edition. I owe my calendar success to a loyal, local following. During the early years of publishing my Juneau calendar, I started adding images from around the Inside Passage. When my local fans complained I created a second calendar, which over the years morphed from a Southeast […]
Goldbelt Tram, Juneau, Alaska #3413
I wanted to get out to enjoy the stunning weather earlier in the week and grabbed a quick Goldbelt Tram ride up the mountain for a short walk out of the rainforest and into the blinding light of a blue-bird autumn day. I just hung out while enjoying the mountain peace and passed the time […]
Mendenhall Glacier & Lake, Juneau, AK #3412
Last Saturday the Juneau area experienced wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and an atmospheric river that dumped so much water on us, I felt like we were getting washed down the drain. Then Monday showed up calm, clear and breathless. The contrast between nature’s wrecking ball and nature’s peaceful serenity was stark […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Southeast Alaska #3411
Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory is located in the old growth forest of the Tongass National Forest, the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. The spawning pink salmon in Anan Creek fill the stream from bank to bank and run into a very steep waterfall blocking them from reaching their spawning grounds. Only the strong, […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Wrangell, Alaska #3410
I have been going to Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, located an hour boat ride from Wrangell in Southeast Alaska, for the past 13 years. The Observatory sits on the edge of Anan Creek, which is packed with spawning pink salmon and supports a large population of black and brown bears. I always get a calendar […]
Killer Whale Breach, Southeast Alaska #3409
A killer whale breaches in Icy Strait. I have spent a lot of time in Icy Strait photographing whales. This particular morning was so very special because of the flat calm waters and wonderful soft blue pastel color of the water. I, along with Ralph Lee Hopkins, Lindblad Expeditions Director of Photography, and Flip Nicklin, […]
Humpback Whales, Southeast Alaska #3406
July and August are usually the best months in Southeast Alaska to find bubble-netting humpback whales. We found these bubble-netters in Chatham Straits. I, along with Ralph Lee Hopkins, Lindblad Expeditions Director of Photography, and Flip Nicklin, National Geographic Photographer and Whale Trust co-founder volunteered for two four-day photo safaris out of Juneau as fundraisers […]
Humpback Whales, Southeast Alaska #3407
A bunch of humpback whales swim right past our boat after completing a bubble-net feeding event. We counted twelve individuals in this group. I, along with Ralph Lee Hopkins, Lindblad Expeditions Director of Photography, and Flip Nicklin, National Geographic Photographer and Whale Trust co-founder volunteered for two four-day photo safaris out of Juneau as fundraisers […]
Humpback Whale Breach, Alaska #3405
A large adult humpback whale breaches in Icy Strait with the Bear Track Mountains in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, as a backdrop. I, along with Ralph Lee Hopkins, Lindblad Expeditions Director of Photography, and Flip Nicklin, National Geographic Photographer and Whale Trust co-founder volunteered for two four-day photo safaris out of Juneau as fundraisers […]
Humpback Whale Breach, Juneau, Alaska #3404
A baby humpback whale breaches in the whale waters around Juneau, Alaska, with the Eagle Glacier and the surrounding Coast Mountains in the background. I, along with Ralph Lee Hopkins, Lindblad Expeditions Director of Photography, and Flip Nicklin, National Geographic Photographer and Whale Trust co-founder, volunteered for two four-day photo safaris out of Juneau as […]
Harbor Seal, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3402
Last week I spent a day in Tracy Arm onboard the Captain Cook and photographed this harbor seal limbering up to do some iceberg yoga. As I age, I appreciate any living creature that has a backbone as flexible as a wet noodle. Have you ever wondered how a seal crawls up on an iceberg? […]
Last week I spent a day in Tracy Arm onboard the Captain Cook. I love going to Tracy Arm in the early summer because the harbor seal pupping season starts in late May and goes into early July. There are literally hundreds of harbor seals giving birth on icebergs in the bay in front of […]
Sunset, Juneau, Alaska #3397
This past May was one of the rainiest Mays ever in Juneau. June has been a much more enjoyable month with a balanced mix of sun, clouds, and rain. The sunsets over the Chilkat Mountains and Lynn Canal have been fantastic this past week. I shot this image last Wednesday, June 9th. Thank you for […]
Black Bear Cub, Juneau, Alaska #3396
A black bear cub pauses to take a breather from its ravenous feeding of dandelions along Juneau’s road system. Each spring dandelions line the roadside, what Juneauites call “Out the Road,” starting around mile15. The yellow banquet, although invasive, provides a much-needed food source for the bears. Thank you for visiting and enjoy – Camera: #Nikon #D850, Lens: # Nikkor 80-400mm, […]
Cover, Wrangell Summer Guide, Alaska #3394
My good friend and proud new owner of the Wrangell Sentinel, Larry Persily, chose my photo of two black bear cubs at Anan Creek as the cover of the newspaper’s 2021 Visitors Guide. Wrangell is the gateway community for most anyone wanting to see the bears at the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory. The trip to […]
Full Moon, Juneau, Alaska #3393
The locals in Juneau, Alaska, have been feeling like Bill Murray in the movie “Groundhog Day.” The past twelve days we have seen the sunrise at 5am. Meanwhile, the moon changed from a small sliver to a full moon setting over the Chilkat Mountains by this morning. Add in about six nights of northern lights […]
Northern Lights, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3392
I had a wonderful shoot on Friday night (see previous posting), and the northern lights’ predictions were strong as well for Saturday night. To tell the truth, I have not had much luck shooting the aurora for the past year. Understandably, I was overjoyed but a little skeptical with the possibility of shooting the lights […]
Northern Lights, Echo Cove, Juneau, Alaska #3391
This past weekend was dreamy. My nights were spent shooting northern lights into the wee hours of the morning. My days were spent skiing Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area under blue bird skies and 70-degree temperatures. Life just doesn’t get much better. I shot these northern lights, reflecting in the still calm waters of Echo Cove […]
Sunset, Juneau, Alaska #3390
Juneau has been blessed with several clear weather days with clouds coming and going. Last Sunday it was mostly sunny while turning cloudy just in time for the sunset to light up the sky over Shelter Island and the Chilkat Mountains. The sky appeared to be on fire. Thank you for visiting and be well […]
Full Moon, Juneau, Alaska #3389
“Snow Moon” February’s full moon is known as the snow moon due to the month’s typically heavy snowfalls. According to the National Weather Service, on average February is the United States’ snowiest month. I think Texas might agree. Juneau skiers have been blasting through fresh powder every day at the local ski area, Eaglecrest, this past […]
Mendenhall Glacier and Lake, Juneau, Alaska #3388
About two weeks ago a few intrepid glacier explorers found a network of ice caves along the north side of the Mendenhall Glacier. Ever since then there has been a constant daily line of hundreds of Juneauites marching out to check out the caves. Two Sundays ago, I walked out to the caves starting around […]
Juneau, Alaska #3387
Juneau, Alaska, is spread out along the ocean’s edge. Driving the morning commute to downtown or Douglas on the Egan Highway from out the road or the valley is a scenic joy ride. Juneauites have been lucky to be experiencing cold, clear weather for the last two weeks. The night before I took this image […]
Aurora Borealis, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska
This aurora borealis photo is my new Facebook banner image that I took some time ago. This fall/winter I have spent a number of very long, frustrating nights out thinking I was going to get strong showings of the northern lights, only to have no luck. I used to plan on three to four good […]
Spaulding Meadows, Juneau, Alaska #3385
Each year Lynden produces an annual calendar as a thank-you gift for their customers throughout the US, Canada, and the world. The calendar is an extremely well-designed and beautifully printed oversized calendar, 23 by 19 inches, featuring Alaska. For the 2021 Lynden calendar over 4600 images were submitted by photographers for consideration. I am so […]
Lions Head Mountain, Echo Cove, Juneau, AK #3384
Last Friday, January 22, 2021, we experienced the first sunny day in Juneau in a really long time. I was bound and determined to take a photo good enough for a calendar picture. I headed out to the end of the road, about 40 miles north of downtown Juneau. The road ends in a parking […]
In the News
Today (Jan. 7, 2021), the Wrangell Sentinel ran a photo of mine, of bears and eagles from Anan Creek, across five columns on the front page. My dear friend, Larry Persily, recently bought the struggling small-town paper and wanted to make a splash with the first issue under his new ownership. I have known Larry […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3382
The weather service forecasted overcast skies for yesterday. This was just fine with me because we have been so busy at the office. At around 11AM I looked out my window and saw clearing skies, so I immediately left and headed to the Mendenhall Glacier to get some good reflection shots. While I was shooting […]
Cohen Island, Favorite Channel, Juneau, Alaska #3381
The pullout off Glacier Highway at Inspiration Point above Tee Harbor has to be one of Juneauites’ favorite spots to watch the sunset as it sets over Favorite Channel and the Chilkat Mountain Range. This pullout is one of my many go-to spots that has many great views as I travel out the road. This […]
Bald Eagle, Iceberg, Holkham Bay, Tracy Arm, AK #3380
Photographing bald eagles perched on icebergs provides a visually striking contrast to their normal hang-out in the dense, rich-green Sitka spruce forest of the Tongass National Forest. Alaska and Canada are the only two places in the world to witness this phenomenon. One of the best and most accessible places in Alaska to go to […]
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, Alaska #3379
Is there anyone who does not love the deep blue colors of glacier ice? In this image a small iceberg floats next to a larger iceberg, showing some of the incredible shades of glacier blue. These wonderful blues come from the crystalline structure unique to glacier ice. Glacier ice is not created by water freezing, […]
Aurora Borealis, Juneau, Alaska #3378
This photo was taken from the Mayflower Island causeway next to Sandy Beach looking down Gastineau Channel in Juneau, Alaska. What is unusual about this photo is that I took it facing south. Northern lights usually get more intense the closer one gets to the Arctic Circle, about 570 miles north of Juneau. Northern lights […]
The 2021 Juneau, Alaska Calendar
Give Alaska! To moms and dads and family & friends who have moved or want to visit… Local Outdoor Calendar Signings First Friday, Dec. 4, 1-5PM The AK Grizzly Bar Saturday, Dec. 5, 12-5PM Alaskan Brewing Co. Tasting Room The AK Grizzly Bar The AK Grizzly Bar AKA The Griz Bar – Open Air Bar […]
Eagle River, Juneau, Alaska #3373
Juneau experienced a 20.6-foot tide yesterday, the highest tide of the year. I spent the day out at Eagle Beach with friends and watched the water completely cover the beach. The tide was still very high while we hiked back to the parking lot on a trail that led through the woods next to Eagle […]
Harbor Seals, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3371
I am honored and pleased to announce my image of a pup and mother seal snuggling together on an iceberg in Tracy Arm is a winner in the National Wildlife Federation 49th Annual Photo Contest. The judges edited through 29,800 images submitted by 3,200 photographers to pick 17 winners in eight different categories. This image won second […]
Humpback Whales, Admiralty Island, Alaska #3370
Bubble-net feeding is a cooperative humpback whale behavior occurring mostly in Southeast Alaska waters. Humpbacks work together to locate and encircle schools of small bait fish, like herring, while blowing bubbles. The fish are corralled into a tight group while the whales’ vocalization frightens the fish to flee toward the surface. With mouths wide open the whales swim up […]
Favorite Channel, Juneau, Alaska #3368
Juneau’s October weather is famous for being windy, wet, and mostly miserable. But, the last four days have been a sheer joy with cold, crisp and clear days with sunsets that seem to last forever. I was enjoying yesterday’s sunset but did not think it was going to go to the next level. Then luck and/or […]
A BIG THANK YOU #3366
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the City & Borough of Juneau and all Juneauites. We are all deeply affected by COVID-19, as are our local businesses. My business activity came to a halt this year, but thanks to a grant from the city I can keep my doors open. I am […]
Boy Scout Beach, Eagle River, Juneau, Alaska #3365
One of my favorite trees in Juneau, Alaska, is this cottonwood starkly standing on Crow Point at Boy Scout Beach. This tree is the lone deciduous sentinel in a sea of a bazillion evergreens. The trail out to Crow Point follows along a beautiful sandy beach and is one of my favorite hikes in Juneau. Every time I come upon this tree, […]
Brown Bear, Raven, Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, AK #3365:
Bears and birds have a symbiotic relationship at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island. The brown bears catch the spawning salmon, drag the fish to shore to eat, and leave the scraps for the birds, mostly ravens and gulls. As the bears charge up and down the creek to catch their salmon they also stir up […]
Humpback Whales, Icy Strait, Alaska #3364
The Fairweather Mountains in Glacier Bay National Park create a perfect Alaska backdrop for a group of approximately nine humpback whales swimming along the surface after completing a bubble-net feeding off Point Adolphus in Icy Strait. Bubble-net feeding is a particular whale behavior only associated with humpbacks and mostly occurring only in Southeast Alaska waters. […]
Humpback Whale Tail, Juneau, Alaska #3363
Last Thursday, on October 1, the skies cleared and the ocean calmed, a rare combination in this part of the world famous for fall storms that soak us. I took advantage of the moment and hopped on a large open skiff with my friends, Paul and Rick, to look for humpback whales. There was plenty […]
Alaska, Dog Mushing, Juneau Icefield #3362
In the 1880’s Mark Twain was so awed by his first site of a glacier that he wrote, “A man who keeps company with glaciers comes to feel tolerably insignificant by and by.” In this image I was trying to visibly illustrate his comment depicting the insignificance of humans in the vastness of this other-worldly […]
Humpback Whale Tail, Juneau, Alaska #3361
Last Thursday, on October 1, the skies cleared and the ocean calmed, a rare combination in this part of the world famous for fall storms that soak us. I took advantage of the moment and hopped on a large open skiff with my friends, Paul and Rick, to look for humpback whales. There was plenty […]
Bears & Eagles, Anan Creek, Alaska #3360
Sometimes when I am out photographing, it can be hard to believe what I am seeing. In my wildest dream I could have never, ever imagined a shot with two black bear cubs and two bald eagles in the same tree. To top it off, the clear spacing and unobstructed visibility in this photo is […]
Mt. Juneau Ridge Hike, Juneau, Alaska #3361
The Mount Juneau Ridge hike is one of my favorite hikes. There are dozens of great hiking trails in Juneau, but the Mount Juneau Ridge is really very special. I only hike it on the most perfect days, sunny with light winds which is a rare combination. The Mount Juneau hike is a very strenuous […]
Moosehead Lake, Juneau, Alaska #3360
Yesterday I posted a wide image of Moosehead Lake that we are using as our new Facebook banner. Today’s image is a variation on the same theme. During that same shoot, I used a different lens setting and got a whole new image. It is not very often I can get what I call a […]
Moosehead Lake, Juneau, Alaska #3359
It has been one the rainiest summer I can remember in my forty-plus years of living in Juneau. The joke going around town goes as follows: It has only rained two times in Juneau this summer, one time for 40 days and a second time for 30 days. This may be slightly overstated, but it […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3358
A heads up… this weekend fall colors should be peaking at the glacier! I took this photo on September 12 several years ago. This Saturday is September 12 and currently the weather forecast for this Friday through Monday includes some sunshine! Get out and enjoy the Mendenhall Glacier, autumn colors, and the break from the […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3357
Bob Engelbrecht treks along an icy ledge next to a deep blue glacial lake on the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. Last week Bob Engelbrecht and Reed Stoops invited Jan McPhetres and me along on a photo trek on the Mendenhall Glacier. Bob moved to Juneau in 1981, arriving in a Hughes 500 helicopter. Originally, […]
Dock Jump, Juneau, Alaska, #3354
This image was taken in the late 1990’s when my sons, Gabe and Owen, were still in school. They would often celebrate the end of the school year by jumping off the downtown Juneau docks and invited a friend to jump with them. Of course, they would only jump on a sunny day and I was usually invited along to document the event. In this particular […]
Sunset, Juneau, Alaska
I love this view of downtown Juneau, Alaska, shot from the Juneau Tram at that magical hour where the disappearing sunset dissolves into evening. Picking an image for my calendars covers is one of my most enjoyable tasks of the year. My calendars sales are the bedrock of my business and trying to top all […]
Rufous Hummingbird, Gull Cove, Alaska #3353
Last week I posted a collage of four hummingbird photos and asked for your help in picking one to appear in a future Mark Kelley calendar. The response was overwhelming. Between all my social media accounts, 156 friends voiced their opinion. The clear winner was the image of the hummingbird just about ready to land […]
Rufous Hummingbird, Gull Cove, Alaska #3352
I had such a wonderful couple of days photographing hummingbirds at Gull Cover Lodge and finalized my favorite images. Yet, I can only pick one image for the 2022 Mark Kelley calendars. Which one is your favorite? Your opinion is very important to me! Yes, it is calendar season which means we have a hard […]
Field of Flowers, Pt Bridget Sate Park, Juneau, AK #3352
Right now, the field of wildflowers at Point Bridget State Park is stunning. I took this photo last Thursday and the shooting stars and buttercups were everywhere and beginning to peak. The lupine was just starting up with some bunches here and there in full bloom. Chocolate lilies are coming up next in the blooming […]
Rufous Hummingbird, Gull Cove, Alaska #3350
Last week I spent some time at Gull Cove Lodge, operated by my dear friends, Paul Johnson, Tami Mulick and their adult children, Rick and Alice. I spent a lot of time at the three hummingbird feeders on the deck rail. Paul tells me there have been at least eight generations of hummingbirds that annually […]
Lions Head Mountain, Berners Bay, Juneau, AK # 3349
While on a low-tide walk along the shores of Berners Bay near Juneau, Alaska, a birder stops to observe a green-winged teal that just landed in the middle of the mirror reflection of Lions Head Mountain. Lions Head is one of my favorite mountains in Juneau but after photographing it for some 40 years, I […]
Chilkat Range, Alaska #3346
The last two weeks have been mostly clear in Juneau, Alaska. The sunny days have picked up the spirits of all of us, while self-isolating and dealing with this upside down, inside out coronavirus world. I shot this sunset last night looking at the Chilkat Range across Lynn Canal from 30-mile on the Glacier Highway. […]
LeConte Glacier, Alaska #3345
A small cloud break at sunset lights up the ocean behind an iceberg from the LeConte Glacier. LeConte Glacier is the most southern tidewater glacier in North America. I have photographed every tidewater glacier in Alaska’s Inside Passage and the LeConte is one of my favorites. I took this photo last year while hosting six […]
Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3344
Besides having so many adult bears roaming around at Anan Creek, there are usually a bunch of first year cubs as well. I counted six cubs one year, just hanging out around the viewing platform. As much as I love taking pictures, I use my passion for photography as a way to experience the world. […]
Black Bear and Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3343
A black bear sow nurses its cub at Anan Creek near Wrangell, Alaska. The US Forest Service operates a viewing platform where I go to photograph and enjoy free-roaming bears going about their daily lives. This year will mark my 13th annual pilgrimage to photograph the bears at Anan. I am often asked why I […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska #3342
Anan Creek is known as one of the best places in Alaska to photograph bears. The creek is one of the most productive pink salmon streams in Alaska. Anan Creek drainage supports a population of 35-plus black bears and 12-20 brown bears. Visitors to the site walk along a half mile trail to a viewing […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska #3341
While leaving the viewing platform at Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, a group of wildlife photographers missed a momma bear and cub scooting by behind them. As a photographer I try to be constantly aware of everything around me. More often than I care to admit, I can be outfoxed by a sneaky critter. I took […]
Inn with a View, Wrangell, Alaska #3340
In the summer of 2019, I hosted six photographers for a five-day photo adventure based out of the Stikine Inn in Wrangell, Alaska. We spent five days photographing bears at Anan Creek, humpback whales in the Wrangell area, and icebergs and calving ice at the face of the LeConte Glacier. Last year’s trip was an […]
Bald Eagle, Juneau, Alaska #3339
After taking the image that I posted last week in the morning, I went back in the afternoon to see what else our local bald eagles were up to. I found this large group hanging out together in the spruce trees in Juneau’s Lemon Creek area, hiding from the bad weather. According to Google a […]
Bald Eagle, Juneau, Alaska #3338
It has been snowing up a storm in Juneau these last two weeks. Last weekend Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area received almost four feet of snow! Today this bald eagle was hanging out in a spruce tree in Juneau’s Lemon Creek area. I love how the monochromatic and out-of-focus background of snow-covered trees makes the eagle […]
Humpback Whale, Alaska #3133
Over my forty-plus years as a photographer in Alaska, I have had the privilege of photographing and publishing thirteen books on Alaska. I love all my books, but my favorite and most fun book to work on was the kids’ book “Once Upon Alaska.” I so much enjoyed reading Nick Jan’s rhyming verses and letting […]
Black Bear Cubs, Anan Creek, Alaska #3132
This image titled “Alaska Eden” was the second Mark Kelley image accepted in the 2019 Alaska Positive Exhibit. The exhibit at the Alaska State Museum opened Friday, December 6, and runs through February 15, 2020. Now in its 49th year, Alaska Positive is a biennial exhibition of Alaska photography sponsored by the Alaska State Museum. This year’s juror, David Michael […]
2019 Alaska Positive, Alaska State Museum #3131
This image titled “Winter Serenity” was one of two Mark Kelley images accepted in the 2019 Alaska Positive Exhibit. The exhibit at the Alaska State Museum opens this Friday, December 6, during Juneau’s holiday Gallery Walk, and runs through February 15, 2020. Now in its 49th year, Alaska Positive is a biennial exhibition of Alaska […]
Black Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3130
A baby black bear hangs out in a tree waiting for its mother to finish fishing in the creek below. Bears at Anan Creek are so fun to photograph. It really is a must-do and bucket-list photo destination. I have been traveling there for the last twelve summers and look forward too many more trips. […]
Coastal Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, AK #3129
A coastal brown bear takes a break from feeding in the low-tide zone in Glacier Bay National Park. Salmon season is short in Glacier Bay and most of the park’s coastal brown bears make a living turning over rocks and eating the little critters they can find under the rocks. Bears are wary of humans […]
Humpback Whales, Juneau, Alaska #3128
I love photographing humpback whales, especially in summer’s evening light. On calm evenings a whale’s blow can travel well over twenty feet into the air and hang suspended in the air for a relatively long time, maybe 5-10 seconds. Add in the late evening back light and the blow becomes a translucent plume of vapor. […]
Glacier Blue, Alaska
I have always loved the surreal blues of glacier ice and created this 100% silk Glacier Blue Scarf to capture the essence of glacier ice. Join me at the Juneau Alaska Public Market this weekend to touch, feel, and try it on. Take home a piece of wearable art showcasing Alaska’s glacier blues to share with friends and family near and […]
Moon-Lit Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3126
I have always dreamed of lighting up the Mendenhall Glacier for a night shot. Of course, the only way I could figure out how to do this was to wait for a clear Juneau night sky along with a full moon. At the end of November, two years ago, I was out on a frozen […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3127
During clear and full-moon nights, when I was younger, I would ski or snowshoe up Spaulding Meadows, past the John Muir cabin, and then up to Auk Mountain to wait for the moon to rise here in Juneau, Alaska. This night in January it was especially cold, maybe zero degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind was […]
Iceberg, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3125
I love traveling to Tracy Arm, which is just a day trip from Juneau. I think I have visited almost all the tidewater glaciers in Alaska, and in my mind Tracy Arm offers the best glacier blue ice experience anywhere. The light of a cloudy overcast day works really well for accentuating the blue ice. […]
Rainbow, Admiralty Island, Alaska #3123
I love rainbows and I wish I had more opportunities to capture their amazing colors. The best I can do photographing rainbows in the Juneau area is about one great image every four to five years. I wish rainbows were as consistent as northern lights in our area, which seem to happen a good ten to twelve times per year. Before writing this caption I […]
Iceberg, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror, Alaska #3118
The wonderful light in this image makes the icebergs shine like jewels in a sea of black. I shot this image standing in bright sunlight while deep cavern walls cast a shadow over the distant icebergs. By carefully cropping the image in-camera, I was able to isolate the ice in the sea of black water. […]
Bald Eagle, Anan Creek, Alaska #3117
A bald eagle hides under spruce tree boughs along the shore of Anan Creek near Wrangell, Alaska. I have traveled to Anan Creek every year for the past twelve years and plan to keep going every year for the foreseeable future. The place presents such a wonderful mix of brown and black bears, bald eagles, […]
Pigeon Guillemot, Juneau, Alaska #3116
Two pigeon guillemots squawk at each other on an island in Juneau Channel Island State Marine Park. The marine park consists of fourteen islands located between Auke Bay and Berners Bay northwest of downtown Juneau. Some of the islands have an amazing abundance of bird and other wildlife. This image illustrates the month of May in […]
Lena Cove, Juneau, Alaska #3115
Each year, as the fall season approaches, I like to share the images that I have picked for my upcoming Juneau and Alaska Calendars. I shot this photo of the sunset at Lena Cove in June of 2017. Between shooting, choosing, and publishing images in my two annual calendars two years go by! It gets kind of confusing: I am enjoying […]
Immature Bald Eagle, Anan Creek, Alaska #3112
I love photographing bears at Anan Creek, but the added bonus for going there are the too-numerous-to-count bald eagles hanging out in the trees and along the shoreline. This past July, while on a low-tide walk, I stopped counting eagles after enumerating some fifty individuals with no end in sight. Anan Creek is steeped in old-growth trees providing wonderful habitat […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Wrangell, AK #3110
A black bear sow nurses its first year cub at Anan Creek near Wrangell, Alaska. The US Forest Service operates a viewing platform where 60 people per day get to watch wild, free roaming bears going about their daily lives. This is my 12th year of photographing the bears at Anan, and this time I hosted a group of […]
Tufted Puffin, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska #3109
Alaska is famous for its puffins, but these clown-faced birds are hard to find in Alaska’s Inside Passage. The two reliable places to see puffins are in Glacier Bay National Park and in the open ocean by Sitka. In Glacier Bay I usually see puffins near the Marble Islands. This individual I found in the beautiful water by the McBride Glacier. The glacier silt turned […]
Pelican, Alaska #3108
A year ago I started planning this great trip on board the m/v Delphinus with my friends from Dolphin Charters. We boated from Sitka up the outside coast of Alaska, cut into Cross Sound, and headed to Juneau via Icy Straits. I just came back from the trip about a week ago, and while we had […]
Wild Iris, Point Bridget State Park, Juneau, AK #3105
Point Bridget State Park in Juneau, Alaska, has erupted into fields of wildflowers as far as the eye can see. The wild irises, buttercups, and geraniums are peaking, and the lupines and shooting stars are just past their prime. The riot of color and flowers creates total chaos for a photographer, so I isolated everything […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Alaska #3086
This black bear cub found itself separated from its mother. The cub climbed a tree for safety and started bawling for its mother to return. The mother bear was at the creek catching pink salmon; she heard the baby’s call and came running. This image represents the incredibly affectionate and extremely tight mother-and-cub bond that […]
Moose, Lynn Canal, Inside Passage, Alaska #3081
Never in my born days did I think I would see a momma moose and her calves swimming across the open ocean, especially in such a large body of water like Lynn Canal near Point Couverden. I shot this image from a boat using a very long lens so our presence would not add any more stress to […]
Black Bear, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK #3080
One of the most beloved and recognizable bears along Steep Creek in the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is bear #25, also affectionately known by locals as “Nicky”. In this image I shot on Saturday, she catches a very large coho salmon in Steep Creek and brings it back to her two cubs. Two weeks ago […]
Bald Eagle, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3078
In springtime one of the best places in Alaska to photograph bald eagles on icebergs is Tracy Arm, and especially South Sawyer Glacier. April and May are lean times for eagles. The salmon have not returned to the streams and eagles are hungry. Eagles hang out on the icebergs to get elevation to watch for […]
Northern Lights, Auke Bay, Alaska #3075
Last Friday night I photographed the northern lights from Portland Island in Juneau, Alaska. I faced the mainland and my view included the Mendenhall Towers, Auke Bay, and Lena Cove. The light show started around 10 o’clock in the evening and it was still illuminating the night sky when I crawled into my tent exhausted […]
Sea Otter, Icy Strait, Alaska #3074
A sea otter chows down on a crab leg from its chest full of Dungeness crabs. Sea otters were almost hunted to extinction by the Russian, American, and British fur traders between 1741 and 1911. Pre-contact populations were estimated at 150,000 to 300,000 animals and by 1911 their numbers had dropped to 1,000-2,000 animals. By that […]
Juneau, Alaska Calendar 2019
When I developed my first Juneau calendar in 1988 I never imagined that it would still be around in 2018! Here we are thirty years and 360 images later and still going strong. The Juneau calendar has been the rock that has kept my business going all these years. What a great run and I […]
Killer Whales, Point Retreat, Juneau, Alaska #3072
I photographed this pod of killer whales on the last day of a four-day photo workshop I organized with Ralph Lee Hopkins as a fundraiser for the foundation, “Whale Trust Maui.” We spent the last hour of our trip surrounded by killer whales with glaciers and Point Retreat lighthouse in the background. We had such […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Alaska #3071
Mother black bears are wonderful mothers. Sows are very affectionate and protective of their newborns. They will care for their cubs for sixteen months before weaning them and sending them out on their own. Anan Creek is one of the best places in Alaska to photograph bears. I have been traveling to Anan Creek every […]
Black Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3069
A baby black bear rests in a tree while mamma bear fishes in Anan Creek below. Mother black bears send their little ones up a tree to keep them safe while she hunts for food. Born in a den in late January or early February baby black bears are blind, nearly hairless, and weigh under a […]
Black Bear Cubs and Eagles, Anan Creek, Alaska #3067
Two black bear cubs and two bald eagles, a juvenile and a mature eagle, hang out in a spruce tree near Anan Creek just outside of Wrangell, Alaska. Starting in 2008 I have traveled annually to Anan Creek to photograph the wildlife. During these 11 years I have never seen bears and eagles in the […]
Coastal Brown Bear, Glacier Bay, Alaska #3065
At the end of June I spent a week in Glacier Bay National Park with my good friend Ronn Patterson, onboard his 50-foot boat the “Delphinus” to conduct a photo workshop with another good friend and photographer, Betty Sederquist. One morning as we were waking up we spotted this big adult coastal brown bear on […]
Killer Whale Pod, Inside Passage, Alaska #3064
A family of resident killer whales swim together on the back side of Admiralty Island up Lynn Canal. The large male in the pod slaps his tail on the water as the family dives in unison. Killer whales are highly social and live in matrilineal family groups (pods) their entire lives. Thank you for visiting. […]
Lena Cove, Juneau, Alaska #3062
The Juneau weather has been fantastic for the last couple of days with temperatures reaching the high seventies Fahrenheit. Along with this great summer weather mother nature put on a sunset lightshow last night that was off the charts. Enjoy the incredible beauty nature provides. Thank you for visiting, Camera: Nikon D850, Lens: Nikkor 24-70, […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3056
A constant problem for photographers is access and opportunity to photograph hard-to-reach places and events. This problem is especially difficult in Alaska because of its remote nature. I really appreciate everyone that has helped me get to locations that make photos like this one possible for the last forty years. I shot this photo of […]
Stikine River, Wrangell – Image #3054
Snow geese, too many to count, lift off the tidal flats of the Stikine River Delta. Every spring these tidal flats provide feeding and resting grounds for thousands of migrating birds. This spring phenomenon is just a short boat ride from the Southeast Alaska town, Wrangell. To celebrate the event Wrangell hosts the Stikine River […]
Boogey Boarding, Lena Cove, Alaska #3049
A growing number of surf enthusiasts are hanging out on Juneau, Alaska, beaches looking and waiting for just the right waves. This winter has been full of clear windy days, which has been really good for our local surfers. I have seen as many as ten riders at a time at Lena Cove here in […]
Humpback Breach, Chatham Strait, Alaska #3047
A whale breach usually comes out of nowhere, and everything happens so fast that it is almost impossible to frame and capture the breach with your camera. The good news is that a whale will often breach multiple times after its first breach. So if you missed the first jump do not put the camera […]
Ice Caves, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3046
I have some70,000 digital images on my computer and I have been editing like a madman to cut that number in half. During this massive edit I am discovering images that I have overlooked in the past, and some will be included in my upcoming Fireside Chat presentation at the Mendenhall Glacier on Friday, March […]
Eagle River and Chilkat Mountains, Juneau, Alaska #3043
This past Monday and Tuesday were beautiful days in Juneau. I shot the sunsets both evenings between 3:45 and 4:20 in the afternoon as in winter the sun sets early in the far north. Eagle River is one of my go-to spots to shoot sunsets this time of year. What makes this image work, besides the […]
Alaska Magazine Cover, Juneau, Alaska #3042
Happy New Year! I was scanning the magazine covers in the checkout line at our local grocery store, and did a double take when I spied Alaska Magazine. The front cover image looked like one of my photos, and sure enough the credits showed that my photo agent had sold one of my photos to the […]
Northern Lights-Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK #3041
Rainbow Aurora over Glacier Lit by Full Moon During a northern lights’ shoot in Alaska, I usually spend the night in my car at a good overlook, and step outside to shoot if and when the lights appear. For this particular photo shoot in early November I spent two nights outside of my car and […]
Amalga Harbor, Juneau, Alaska #3040
Last year I received the really fun news that I got BING’ed on Christmas eve! The Microsoft search engine, BING, used this image for a day on their homepage. BING is the second largest search engine in the US with a more than 20% share of the US market and a 7% share of the worldwide […]
Sunset, Eagle Beach, Alaska #3035
This photo shoot of the sunset over the snowcapped Chilkat Mountain was turning out pretty well, but I felt something was amiss; the upper sky was looking rather blank. Within minutes after contemplating my problem Canada geese flew into the blankness and solved my dilemma. After just five seconds the birds flew out of my picture […]
King Crab Fishery, Juneau, Alaska #3034
FISHING WITH A VIEW – How about going crabbing at sea with the Mendenhall Glacier as your backdrop? Michael Blume prepares to set a king crab pot on the F/V Osprey. Fish and Game opened a red king commercial fishery in the Juneau area for the first time in seven years. The one-day opening started […]
Humpback Whales, Herbert Glacier, Juneau, Alaska #3032
I love images that tell a story. Alaska’s glaciers grind down mountains and dump their mineral loads into the ocean. These minerals hang in suspension and become part of the basic building blocks for phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are eaten by krill, and krill in turn get eaten by small schooling fish like herring. Each year humpback whales, with their 50-foot […]
SUNSET SURREAL – Eagle Beach, Juneau, Alaska #3031
A couple of times a year the colors of sunset can be so surreal that it is hard to believe what I am actually seeing is real. Nature’s color palette is beyond belief. While my wife, Jan, and I experienced this sunset I actually told her that no one was going to believe that this […]
Auke Lake, Juneau, Alaska #3030
OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING… A beautiful fall morning in Juneau welcomed my wife, Jan, and I back after biking, hiking, and railroading our way around Austria, France, Italy, and Germany for the past month. We had a wonderful adventure, but to quote Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.” We are […]
Bald Eagle, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3029
Many of you know that Tracy Arm is one of my favorite places in Southeast Alaska. I go every spring knowing that eagles are hanging out on icebergs, scavenging for anything they can find while waiting for the return of salmon in summer. Springtime is still a lean time of the year for our eagle population. […]
Black Bear Cub, Anan Creek, Alaska #3028
“Hanging Out” – A black bear cub hangs out in a tree while its mother fishes for pink salmon in Anan Creek. I love this image because the cub looks so comfortable and relaxed in what seems like a very precarious position on a couple of skinny branches. Black bear cubs are great climbers. I have […]
Harbor Seals, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3026
What great luck! A mother harbor seal and her pup cast a perfect reflection in the blue-green glacier waters of Tracy Arm. I have photographed seals with pups on the floating ice of Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm for over forty years and this is the first and only time I have been able to […]
Sitka Black-Tailed Deer, Admiralty Island, Alaska #3025
“A Deer in Gold” Pack Creek on Admiralty Island is famous for viewing brown bears. I have also had great luck photographing Sitka black-tailed deer. I love the wetland grasses in autumn when the vast fields surrounding the creek turn golden. The golden grasses really pop the deer in the photo and offer a great contrasting […]
Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska #3024
The native peoples from Southeast Alaska have a saying that roughly goes like this:”When the tide is out the table is set.” This juvenile brown bear understands the saying well. Brown bears in Glacier Bay spend their time feeding at low tide turning over rocks and slurping up any creatures uncovered. Brown bear cubs stay with […]
Black Bears, Anan Creek, Alaska #3023
A black bear cub got separated from its mother and climbed in a spruce tree waiting to be found. The cub stood in the tree bawling for it mom as you can see my previous posting (Image #3017). The mother bear finally heard its cub’s wailing and came to the rescue. Anan Creek is one of the […]
Moose with Calves, Chatham Strait, Alaska #3021
Moose are rather rare in most of Southeast Alaska, except in places north of Juneau such as Gustavus, Haines, and Berners Bay. In my 38 years of photographing Alaska I have hardly seen, let alone photographed, a moose in Southeast. What a surprise it was to come around Point Couverden to find a mother moose […]
Sunset, Lena Cove, Alaska #3020
After experiencing one of the coldest and wettest June and July in my memory, August has been a delight with temperatures soaring into the seventies and sunsets galore. I shot this image this past Wednesday at my favorite summer sunset location, Lena Cove. I wanted to share this sunny moment as it has been raining […]
Brown Bear, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska #3019
A large coastal brown bear is an impressive animal, just check out its claws. I photographed this bear last week at low tide in Glacier Bay National Park while leading a photo workshop onboard the M/V Delphinus for Captain Ronn Patterson. It is a wonder me that this powerful animal makes a living eating the many small […]
Baby Black Bear, Anan Creek #3017
Last week I spent three days at the Anan Forest Service cabin in Wrangell, Alaska, with family and friends celebrating my birthday. I had a wonderful time photographing bears, but almost had more fun celebrating, eating chocolate cake, drinking mojitos, and singing a rousing rendition of the Beatles song “When I Am Sixty-four”. I wanted to […]
Humpback Whales, Inside Passage, Alaska #3016
One can never take Juneau’s world class whale watching scene for granted. I just spent four days on the water with good friends hoping for some great whale photography. While the local humpbacks were pretty active the week before our shoot, they were hard to find these last four days. It was not until the […]
Sunset – Tee Harbor, Juneau, Alaska #3011
I am a sucker for sunsets, how about you? This image was shot from the exact same spot as the previous shot, image 3010. The light, the tide, and the use of a longer lens make for a similar, yet very different photo. Once I find a great location I keep going back again, and […]
Sunset, Tee Harbor, Juneau, Alaska #3010
On Father’s Day I spent a peaceful evening with a friend on his porch watching the sunset while eating a delicious piece of homemade strawberry/rhubarb pie. I hope everyone had as wonderful a day as I did. Thank you for visiting. Enjoy – Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 24-120mm, Digital Capture, hand held ©Mark Kelley
Humpback Whale Breach, Juneau, Alaska #3009
What a Show! A humpback whale breaches in front of an Allen Marine catamaran along the shores of Shelter Island. I shot this photo from another Allen Marine cat on Tuesday evening. This single whale put on a show for quite a long while. We lost count of the breaches and fluke dives, and also […]
Pigeon Guillemots, Juneau, Alaska #3008
“Say What!” Two pigeon guillemots squawk at to each other on an island in the Juneau Channel Islands State Marine Park. This marine park consists of 14 islands, which are located between Auke Bay and Berners Bay here in Juneau, Alaska. Some of the islands have an amazing abundance of bird and other wildlife. Pigeon guillemots […]
Sea lions, Midway Islands – Alaska #3007
Sea lions gathered in a group almost always make me smile. When sea lions haul out in big groups you can hear them belch, burp, grunt, and groan. They have no sense of personal space and crawl all over each other growling, barking, and snorting until they settle down in a big pig pile and […]
Lena Cove, Juneau, Alaska #3006
I know some consider sunsets cliché, but after all these years I still get sucked in and love them all. Last Monday evening was just really sweet and I was glad to enjoy this beauty with my wife, Jan. Thank you for visiting, enjoy – Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 24-120mm, Digital Capture, hand held […]
Bald Eagle, Tracy Arm, Alaska #3305
Once again Tracy Arm provides. Yesterday was my first trip down to the Arm this season. This time of the year is great for bald eagles on icebergs and there were plenty of opportunities. I traveled with Captain Steve from Adventure Bound on board the Captain Cook, with flat calm waters and sunny skies all […]
A Bazillion Birds, Berners Bay, Juneau, Alaska #3003
The much anticipated Berners Bay herring run happened late last week with the fish laying their eggs along the shore at Point Bridget. Birds by the bazillion showed up for this spring feast all weekend long. These surface-bound white-winged scoters certainly enjoined the feast. Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 80-400mm f5.6, ISO 1250, Digital Capture […]
Northern Lights, Pederson Creek Salt Chuck, Juneau, Alaska #3002
Oh What a Night! This weekend Juneau experienced an amazing show of northern lights. It all started Friday night and lasted through both Saturday and Sunday nights and into the wee hours of Monday morning. Each shoot started around 11PM and ended between 3-4AM. I am suffering from what we locally refer to as “a […]
Northern Lights, False Outer Point, Juneau, Alaska #3001
Oh What a Night! This weekend Juneau experienced an amazing show of northern lights. It all started Friday night and lasted through both Saturday and Sunday night and into the wee hours of Monday morning. Each shoot started around 11PM and ended between 3-4AM. I am suffering from what we locally refer to as “a […]
Eagle Beach, Chilkat Mountains, Juneau, Alaska #3000
We have been so blessed to have had a week of sunny and clear weather here in Juneau, Alaska. Of course this means that I am up before sunrise to look for my next photo. Two mornings ago I found the early light hitting the cloud bank over the Chilkat Mountains across from Eagle Beach. […]
Picture Window Perfection-Juneau, Alaska #2999)
I had planned to shoot the setting full moon at 5:30 AM this morning so got up pretty early. Lo and behold, as I walked out into my living room there was the moon setting right through our picture windows. I quickly walked down to the beach to shoot this image of the moon above […]
Powder Heaven, Juneau, Alaska #2997
If you like winter, then Juneau’s winter of 2016-17 has been pretty perfect with plenty of snow followed by plenty of sunshine. Recently my wife and I enjoyed a cross-country ski adventure through miles of untouched snow in the meadows in Spaulding Meadows just above Auke Bay. Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski area has over five feet […]
Surfing in Winter, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2991
I apologize for not posting any new images for the past month. We have been enjoying a long and well-deserved break. This past week has been gorgeous in Juneau and there were plenty of sunny days along with some big winds. Although Juneau is not a hot spot for surfing there is a dedicated cadre […]
Bald Eagle, Sawyer Glacier, Tracy Arm, Alaska Image 2989
Welcome to the New Year. Year after year I return to one of my favorite places in Alaska: Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. I took this photo last year towards the end of May when eagles are hungry after a long Alaskan winter. Salmon have not yet returned from the ocean and the harbor seal pupping […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska Image 2988
The clear ice of a frozen Mendenhall Lake gives us a mirror reflection of the face of Mendenhall Glacier. The people in this image are a bonus, serving as a reference point of just how big the glacier really is. I have only seen the ice this crystal clear a couple times in my forty […]
Spaulding Meadows, Juneau, Alaska-Image 2986
Untouched snowfields are a photographer’s delight because they catch the light in the sky. The snow in this photo is picking up the colors of an outrageously beautiful sunrise. It is the light on the snow that makes this photo work. I captured this moment while winter camping in the John Muir cabin in Spaulding […]
Oh What a Night! Juneau, Alaska – Image 2985
Two winters ago Juneau experienced an amazing show of northern lights in the beginning of March. After this particular shoot I knew I had a winner. Some years I struggle to find the right calendar cover image, but this image is a quintessential Juneau image and is featured on the cover of my 2017 Juneau […]
Humpback Whale Blows, Juneau, Alaska-Image 2984
Wikipedia lists the origin of the word “photography” as follows: φωτός (phōtos), genitive of φῶς (phōs), meaning “light” and γραφή (graphé), meaning the “representation by means of lines” or “drawing”, thus together the words mean “drawing with light”. The essential word is “light”. The evening backlighting shining through the multiple blows of these humpback whales makes this image […]
Admiralty Island, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2983
I shot this cloudburst over Admiralty Island from an Allen Marine whale watching boat approaching the southern end of Shelter Island. In the photo business we call it God Light. Photographers live for this moment of brilliance. This image illustrates the month of July in my 2017 Juneau Calendar. I will be signing calendars at the Juneau Public Market this upcoming weekend. Enjoy the photo and […]
Orca Rainbow, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2982
This is a special image. In my 35 years of photographing whales in Southeast Alaska, this is the first and only time I encountered a full “rainbow blow”. During the orca’s exhale, its entire blow turned into a rainbow. Humpback whales have much taller blows, and I have seen partial blows turn into rainbows but never an entire […]
Bald Eagle and Crow, Glacier Bay National Park, AK # 2982
Crows like to harass bald eagles. While visiting Johns Hopkins Inlet in Glacier Bay we came across this crow dive-bombing an eagle. Every once in a while the crow would tire and take a seat next to the eagle, before starting the game all over again. This cycle continued for quite a while until the […]
“Fogged Over” Auke Bay, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2981
Recently, I moved from downtown Juneau (Starr Hill) to out the road about 15 miles. I think I have one of the most beautiful commutes in the world. I shot this sunrise lighting up the fog in Auke Bay just two-miles into my seven-mile commute. Juneau’s new state museum, which opened in 2016, used this image as the wall […]
Brown Bear, Middle Creek, Admiralty Island, AK #2980
Photographing in a heavy downpour is really a low percentage shoot. It is incredibly difficult on the photographer and equipment, everything gets wet. I am trying to shoot more and more in the rain, and I usually shoot under a golf umbrella. Again, it is all very cumbersome and sometimes it makes me want to scream, but when it works… This […]
Humpback Whale Flukes, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2976
Humpback whales spend, I imagine, over 90% of their lifetime under water. The time spent above water is mostly dedicated to breathing and diving. The thrilling behaviors, or what I call the X-games of whale behavior, are really very, very rare. With extreme luck does one get to see behaviors like breaching, tail slapping, or bubble-net feeding. To […]
Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska…Image 2975
A black bear sits outside a small cave scratching an itch. I shot this photo from the photo blind that the US Forest Service maintains at the Anan Creek Bear Observatory platform near Wrangell, Alaska. This is one of the very few streams that supports a large population of both black and coastal brown bears. Better known bear […]
Kayaker and Paddle Boarder, Lena Cove, Juneau, Alaska # 2974
Sunset was shaping up to be quite unbelievable in Lena Cove, just a half mile from my home, and when I arrived on the beach just one element was missing to set the scene. Out of the blue a kayaker and a paddle boarder came cruising by while sunset colors were peaking. How lucky was that? It felt like winning the lottery. This image […]
Kayaker, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, Alaska, Image #2973
It had been raining on and off for two weeks straight here in Southeast Alaska. The world just outside the entrance to Fords Terror was soaking in rainforest green. Glacier silt, or rock flour, suspended in the tidal waters turned the water yet another shade of green. The waterfalls were swollen to bursting size. And the orange clad […]
Black Oystercatcher, Glacier bay National Park, Alaska – Image #2970
About a month ago, I lead a photo tour for Dolphin Charters through Glacier Bay National Park. I always enjoy my time with my good friends Ronn Paterson, on board the 50-foot m/v Delphinus. This is one of my favorite images from that week-long adventure. Oystercatchers are very noisy, bold shorebirds that have all sorts of ways of […]
Humpback Whales and Eagle Glacier, Juneau, Alaska-#2968
For the past three years my good friends, Rich and Lori, have come up to visit Juneau and they charter Jayleen Beedle to take them whale watching. I am so lucky for being invited along, and for actually getting a calendar photo on each trip. I took this image during their visit this summer. I have known Jayleen since she […]
Tufted Puffin, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, #2967
I spent last week in Glacier Bay National Park onboard Dolphin Charter’s m/v Delphinus. I started visiting Glacier Bay in 1980 and have probably spent over nine months in the park over the years. Last year’s visit produced a six-page spread in Alaska Magazine and an image purchased by the clothing company Patagonia. In wildlife photography hardly […]
Pigeon Guillemot, The Brothers, Admiralty Island, Alaska-Image #2966
Again, I find myself on board the Dolphin Charter’s m/v Delphinus, on the “Around Admiralty Island Wildlife Quest”. We were anchored in The Brothers and woke to find thirty plus pigeon guillemots hanging out in the rich seaweed of low tide. Here they are sitting in soft seaweed with a dark green forest in the background. Often the background is […]
Bald Eagle, Chatham Straits, Alaska – Image #2965
I just returned from a full week on board Dolphin Charter’s m/v Delphinus, to work with captain Ron in the “Around Admiralty Island” photo expedition. On such an adventure I never know what we will find and surprises may lurk around every corner. It is all about timing and luck, and having your camera ready. On this trip we […]
Deckhand Dave’s, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2964
This summer our family friend, David McCasland, opened a food truck called “Deckhand Dave’s” on the waterfront next to the cruise ship docks in downtown Juneau. Dave and our son Owen worked together on a commercial salmon purse seiner for three years. Dave was the cook on the boat and took that experience to shore […]
CELEBRATION 2016, Juneau, Alaska #2962
The canoes have arrived, marking the unofficial beginning of Celebration 2016. Join the festivities! It is a great honor to be an official photographer for Sealaska for this four day event. For more information click on the following Sealaska Heritage web links and I hope to see you there! Sealaska Heritage Institute Celebration 2016 Schedule Information Dance […]
Black Bears, Tracy Arm, Alaska – #2962
Tracy Arm is just great and I cannot stop singing its praises. If someone just had one day to visit Alaska I would send them to Tracy Arm. I shot this image of a mom and cub black bear on the same trip I shot the previous posting of the eagle on the iceberg. No […]
Bald Eagle on Iceberg-Tracy Arm, Alaska #2961
I have been to Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness more times than I can count or remember. I first visited the wilderness area in 1979 as a photographer for the Juneau Empire. I have tried to go back every year since then and often have been able to get in multiple trips per year. I love this […]
Alaska Sunset, Eagle Beach-Juneau, Alaska Image #2959
The color of this sunset is unbelievable, and believe me, it was really this good when I shot this photo on March 30. With zero hocus pocus or image enhancements, this is the real deal. The heavens provided all the magic. Enjoy. Thank you for visiting. – Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 digital […]
Bald Eagle, Sandy Beach, Douglas, Alaska #2957
When I leave the office for a photo shoot, I usually have a subject in mind. I almost never go out without a preconceived image in my head, as I don’t like to wander around aimlessly. Sometime this directed approach provides for unexpected surprises, and this is exactly what happed during a recent foggy day in […]
Sunset Flight, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2953
The last three days in Juneau have been just drop-dead gorgeous. It is these days that thrill me to be living here. Yesterday I was shooting the sun setting over the Chilkat Mountains at Eagle Beach when a flock of Canada geese flew by. They turned towards me just in time to place the silhouette of their […]
Aurora Borealis, Juneau, Alaska-Image #2952
Last night (2-17-2016) I shot this photo of the Aurora Borealis over the mountains surrounding the valley and the Mendenhall Glacier from the North Douglas boat ramp. Although I spent most of the night and early morning hours looking for northern lights, I only witnessed one powerful display sometime between 11:30pm-12:30am. The northern lights created […]
Our New View, Auke Bay, Juneau, Alaska #2950
Jan and I are celebrating our one-year anniversary in our new home “out the road”, as Juneauites like to call it. We went to an open house on 2-7-2015 and that same afternoon the previous owners accepted our offer. After living in the heart of downtown Juneau for 30 years, we were moving to the […]
Sow and Cub, Glacier Bay National Park, AK-Image #2946
Bears, whales, glaciers, puffins, eagles, and more… Glacier Bay National Park has it all and that is why I keep going back as often as possible since my first ever visit in 1981. In the past three decades I have spent more than eight months total in the park. Glacier Bay has both a brown and a […]
Amalga Harbor, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2945
Happy New Year, I sure hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. Personally, I received a really fun gift on Christmas Eve: I got Binged! Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, used this image I shot of Amalga Harbor as their homepage image of the day on Christmas Eve. How fun is that! Bing is the second largest […]
Amalga Harbor, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2944
What a great moment to represent the holiday season…a lighted holiday tree on a dock in an Alaskan harbor, with the Chilkat Mountains as the backdrop, and a clear night with northern lights dancing overhead. I could not wish for more… This is the December image in my 2016 Juneau, Alaska calendar, enjoy! Happy Holidays and we will see […]
Alaskan Solstice, Juneau, Alaska #2943
Alaskans love to celebrate winter solstice to welcome the turning of darkness into light. For the past 20-plus years a fun group of locals have celebrated the welcoming of the light with a bonfire on a local beach. This year they carried a sea monster placed in a kayak frame into the bonfire. Let the long Alaskan […]
Mendenhall Glacier Ice Cave, Juneau, Alaska-Image #2942
A frozen Mendenhall Lake made for easy access two winters ago to the now world famous Mendenhall ice caves. All of Juneau turned out for a visit. This particular ice cave has since collapsed. In this image my friend Stephanie is catching the sunlight shining into the cave through a moulin. A moulin is a […]
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2941
Mt McGinnis, Mt Stroller White, and the Mendenhall Glacier reflect in an open-water pond created by the flowing water of Steep Creek in winter. Juneau and Southeast Alaska experience warmer temperatures during the winter months compared to interior Alaska, and we often have open water in the middle of winter. Lucky me, as I am […]
Aurora, Echo Cove, Juneau, Alaska-Image #2940
Green northern lights, or aurora borealis, stream in the sky above Lions Head Mountain in Berners Bay, while casting a mirror reflection in the calm waters of Echo Cove. In Juneau, Alaska, the northern lights do not display as often or as strongly as for our Alaskan neighbors to the north, and of course a […]
Sandy Beach Pump House, Douglas, Alaska -Image #2937
I love this view of the Sandy Beach pump house. On a clear winter morning in Juneau sunrise can be spectacular, especially in December around the time of solstice. In the winter the sun rises directly down channel from Juneau, giving the scene a surreal light. I am often asked how much I digitally enhance […]
Setting Moon, Icy Strait, Alaska-Image #2936
When I go out on a shoot I almost always have a definite image I am looking for. On the evening when I shot this photo I was camping on Thunder Mountain to shoot a cover image of hikers on the mountain with the glacier and mountains as a stunning backdrop (see image posted on 9-16-2015). Having a specific image to focus on […]
Coast Mountains, Port Snettisham, Alaska-Image #2934
An important element in a successful photo is design. I like to give the two-dimensional presentation of a printed image a three dimensional feel when possible. The effect is called layering. This image has a natural layering as the mountain ridges pile up on each other with the help of the early morning fog, giving […]
Thunder Mountain, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska-Image 2929
One of my most favorite views of the Mendenhall Glacier is from Thunder Mountain. The Mendenhall is about 13 miles long and from the visitor center one can see about 4 to 5 miles up the glacier before it makes a turn to the left and goes out of site. This view gives you the rest […]
Killer whales, Herbert Glacier, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2926
I am known as the photographer that only takes photos on beautiful sunny days and this reputation is somewhat valid. I have so much work to keep my small business running, I chose to do my office work on the rainy days and save the sunny days for shooting. However, more and more I find myself shooting on the non-sunny days and […]
Humpback Whale Tail, North Pass, Alaska-Image #2920
My friends, Rich and Lori, invited my wife and I on a whale watching tour during their stay in Juneau. They hired one of my favorite whale captains, Jayleen Beedle. We headed out last Sunday evening, July 12th, for a four hour tour. The whales were spotty, with maybe six individual humpbacks hanging out in the North Pass […]
Humpback Whale, Pt Retreat Lighthouse, Juneau, Alaska-Image #2919
Alaska’s humpback whales returned to Juneau from their annual migration from Hawaii sometime in May. This single whale is diving off the northern end of Admiralty Island with the Pt. Retreat Lighthouse in the background. During the fireweed season the lighthouse is surrounded by fireweed, and the fireweed came really early this year because of the amazingly […]
Humpback Whales, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2917
Humpback whale bubble-netting groups arrived in Juneau waters last week. There are two main groups of whales with a combined total of some 20 individuals. These two whales surfaced after finishing a bubble-net. Humpbacks are mammals that surface to breathe air and their lungs are the size of VW Bugs. When they surface, the water covering […]
Lena Cove Sunset, Juneau, Alaska – Image #2919
These last three weeks we have been having the most beautiful weather in Juneau, creating wonderful sunsets. My wife Jan and I were in Lena Cove when a paddle boarder and kayaker cruised into view right at the peak of sunset. Sometimes I get lucky! Juneau is on track for the warmest and driest May […]
“Drizzly Bear” or “Reigning over the Tongass”, Black Bear, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image #2913
Every year since 1944, the Missouri School of Journalism has recognized the best work in photojournalism through the Pictures of the Year International (POYi) contest. The contest is the oldest (72 years) and considered by many the most prestigious photojournalism program and competition in the world. This year, I took third place in the Science & […]
Northern Lights, Juneau, Alaska – Image # 2899
I took this image of the northern lights the same night that I shot the cover of my 2015 Juneau Calendar. Many folks ask how I know when to shoot the northern lights. I wait for the next clear night and then check out several websites that make predictions on the relative strength of the […]
Chilkat Moon Sets, Alaska – Image #2898
In Juneau winter the full moon often sets as the sun rises. It was a perfectly clear morning when this full moon set over the Chilkat Mountains across Lynn Canal from Aldersheim Lodge “out the road”. I love how the early blue sky, lit by the rising sun, rolls down seamlessly into purple pre-dawn color layers. The […]
Aurora Borealis, Juneau, Alaska…Image # 2896
The last two winters in Juneau have been very good for shooting the northern lights. Scientists tell us that there is some sort of 13 to 15 year cycle that controls the activity of the aurora borealis and that we are now on the downward swing of this cycle. For this image I pulled into […]
South Sawyer Glacier, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, Alaska…Image # 2891
If someone just had one day to visit Alaska, I would send them to Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. My other hot spot would be the north end of Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. If the weather cooperates, the view of Denali in the Alaska Range is to die for. But, if it’s cloudy it is just another […]
Humpback Whales, Bubble-Net Feeding…Image # 2886
Humpback whales are engaged in a spectacular cooperative feeding activity known as bubble-netting. Rare elsewhere in the world, bubble-netting is fairly common in Southeast Alaska waters. Working together, the humpback whales exhale bubbles while encircling a school of small prey fish, such as herring. As the prey fish are corralled, the simultaneous song of the […]
Harbor Seals in Field of Icebergs, South Sawyer Glacier, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror …Image 2883
A rookery of harbor seals hang out on the pack ice in front of the South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, Southeast Alaska. The ice affords the seals protection from their main predator, the killer whale. The South Sawyer glacier is one of the most active calving tidewater glaciers in Alaska providing this […]
“Once Upon Alaska” 9th Spread…Image 2668
Sea lions play “king of the mountain”. These marine mammals love to haul out and bask in the warm air. Unfortunately, there is not room for all on the Faust Rock buoy in Saginaw Channel near Juneau, Alaska. This image works well in my new children’s book because of the interaction between the two sea […]
“Once Upon Alaska” 8th Spread…Image 2867
I love this image! Nick Jans just nailed the words comparing the blow from a killer whale to a “silver flame”. The backlighting coming through the killer whale exhale does look like a “flame”. The flat calm water reflecting the spruce trees of the Tongass National Forest puts this ocean mammal in the forest as well as […]
“Once Upon Alaska” 7th Spread…Image 2866
These humpback whales are engaged in a spectacular feeding frenzy known as “bubble netting”. Working together, a group of whales uses exhaled bubbles to form a “net” to encircle schools of baitfish, like herring, to bring them toward the surface. The whales then lunge through the mass with mouths wide open. Sea water is strained […]
Facebook Banner updated
April 9, 2014 Time to update the Facebook banner. So many images to choose from!
Black Bear, Mt McGinnis, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2941
When I look for a cover for my calendars, I am looking for an image that shows the essence of Alaska. Rule one is the image has to have great light. Next the image has to show the essential elements that make Alaska special to me and the world: wilderness, wildlife, mountains and glaciers. One […]
“Hanging Out”, Black Bear Cubs, Anan Creek, Alaska – Image 2832
This spruce tree is probably the single most photographed tree in all of Alaska. It is a favorite hang out for bear cubs at Anan Creek. Being very close to the viewing platform, its comfortable branches provide an unbelievable viewing opportunity. The Anan Creek area has a black bear population of some 40 to 50 […]
Hale-Bopp Comet above Gastineau Channel with northern lights – Image 2031
April 1997 was a month of cloudless skies. Comet Hale-Bopp was our constant companion from mid-March through April. As the end of April approached, I had not taken a photo of the comet. It seemed like I was the only photographer in the world without some shot of this phenomenonal celestrial event. Towards the end […]
Juneau, Alaska – Image 2846
The other great place to shoot winter sunsets in Juneau is along Fritz Cove Road on the southern shore of Auke Bay. The March and April sunsets happen on the northern edge of Auke Bay. This image shows Eric Lindegaard watching the view from his dock. This image is not digitally enhanced. The colors truly […]
Juneau Ice Field, Alaska – Image 2535
Keeping with last weeks theme of people enjoying the Juneau Ice Fields, this week I am featuring a photo my friend, Shannon, defending herself in a snowball fight. In the middle of the summer the first thing people do getting off the helicopters for their visit to the glaciers is have a snowball fight. I […]