A trip to Valdez, Alaska is not complete without taking a cruise on the Lulu Belle.  The Lulu Belle is a lovely boat and Captain Fred is a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide.  Just don't make plans for after the cruise - he will stay out as long as the wildlife cooperates.

The cruise works its way into Columbia Bay near the face of the Columbia Glacier.  Approaching the glacier, icebergs the size of houses surround the vessel making the 75-foot boat feel quite small.  Plenty of time is spent in the bay and the crew will even take photographs of couples in the bow of the boat with the glacier in the background.

Towards the end of the cruise, a Humpback Whale was spotted and Captain Fred shut down the engines to see if the whale would come closer.  Sure enough, it did, and we were rewarded with views of the whale breaching three times less than 100 yards away from the boat.  It was a great experience.  Here are some photos from the trip.