Turnagain Arm, Alaska

Yoana Medrano 

Photographer and Writer

Joanne first visited Turnagain Arm in February. There was ice on the water and the tide was aggressively pushing the ice against ice. Pieces were moving in different directions according to the currents beneath the surface.

Fast forward to now, June 7th, Today was an exploring day and Joanne wanted to see the differences in where she visited before when everything was blanketed in snow. The snow has long melted and in return green blooms in its place. Where there had been ice, now there is only water, rocks and mud. 

Turnagain Arm is located on the Kenai Peninsula Borough. To get there we drove on the Seward highway. It is a long, curvy road that takes you on a journey to what feels like another world with massive mountains capped with snow on both sides and between them is Turnagain Arm. "The arm draws its name for British explorer James Cook, who was forced to “turn again” when the waterway didn’t hold the fabled Northwest Passage during his 1778 voyage." 

We took our time driving up the highway, stopping whenever the road would allow us. Each stop was a different scene from the last. We explored each one with a new found curiosity, both of us stunned by this natural beauty, I was fascinated by the way the water was moving, at times it would appear unnatural. Pushing against itself causing eddies, swirls of current in every direction. 

As we drove further up the highway we started to come across bald and golden eagles. I was blown away by these creatures; I had never seen them in the wild nor in such an abundance. I gasped at each one that flew. They have such a grace and glory about them as they go about their days. We stopped at a spot where they were gathering on the mud to feast on the sea life invisible to our eyes. I wanted to take a photograph of a sign that I was amused by, as I carelessly walked on over to the sign I shared a moment with an eagle. We frightened each other. I was left speechless and a little petrified (they are fierce in person) as it propelled it self into the sky, flapping its massive feathered wings away from me. I just watched in fascination.

On our return to our place for the week we recalled to one another the excitement of the day. Below are some of my photographs of that day from Point Woronzof through the day to Turnagain Arm. I look forward to returning to Alaska in the winter some time soon so that I too can compare the differences.