Photography, Travel
An Alaskan Fishing Boat on a Sea of Glass
A response to the SNAPSHOTS technology and nature prompt
The endless skies, Humpback Whales and glacial waters of Alaska will forever linger in my mind when I close my eyes at night. Last summer, my husband and I had the chance to roam the Inside Passage on a thirty-two person catamaran, The Alaskan Dream, for a week during the summer solstice.
The vastness of Alaska calls to my soul in a primal way that I will never be able to express in words. So much of this land remains untouched and wild. And yet, man, both ancient and modern has left traces behind.
One night, after visiting Kake, a small Tlingit village of 557 souls, I looked back towards the shore and was struck by the reflection of the fishing warehouses on the docks.
The people living here are reliant on the land and the waters for the majority of their food. Fishing is a way of life.
I looked out to sea as we were just about to head back out and I saw this fishing boat coming in. It looked so minuscule against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains and the vault of the sky.
While we watched, the boat turned in, towards the little harbor, passing by a salmon fishery. If you’ve ever wondered where “Alaskan Farm-Raised Salmon” comes from, this is what it looks like.
The boat pulled in and docked right beside us. We watched while this local fisherman, done for the evening, was picked up by his friend.
A few moments later, our little boat turned out into the open waters again, heading into a sea of glass and the solstice evening sunlight.
Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).
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Story and photos ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.
You might also enjoy some of the other SNAPSHOTS challenge pieces by such talented artists as Ian Hanson, Kris Cochran, pockett dessert, Erik Smith, Dennett, Penny Grubb, Christopher Lovelace @ChristopherLovelace, Inge E. Knudsen, Sandra B, K. Barrett, Charlie Cole, Gina Pacelli Jillian Amatt, B.R. Shenoy, Anne Bonfert, Nicole Anders, Mahein Kazi, Bruce Walker, Ronald Smit, and others, who have participated in SNAPSHOTS challenges.
