“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” – Zora Neale Hurston
Have you ever been through a tsunami? I was close to one once, relatively close. Last July, there was an earthquake off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. It was large. Many thought that it was going to cause a massive tsunami all along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. That night we were actually on a cruise in the Pacific Ocean. Luckily, we found out the safest place to be was on a cruise in the Pacific Ocean. However, it made us a little uneasy. That night while we were sleeping we could defiantly tell that the waves were rougher than usual. All night I could hear the sound of the hangers in our closet banging against each other. In the end, all was well. We got up that morning preparing ourselves for our next destination, Icy Strait Point.
When we walked off our cruise ship that morning, we headed straight for a walking path. The path went along the coast. When we got there, we saw the shoreline was covered in starfish. I captured these photos and many more when we visited Icy Strait Point. When we planned the trip, I didn’t realize I would be visiting a rainforest. Alaska is home to the largest temperate rainforest in the world, the Tongass National Forest. This vast rainforest stretches along the coast of Southeast and Southcentral Alaska. It receives significant rainfall and boasts a unique, mild climate compared to other parts of the state. On average, the area gets around 200 inches of rain per year. Compare that to where I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, which gets 42 inches of rain a year. This area is home to the Sitka spruce trees that can grow over 200 feet tall. The rainforest supports a wide array of wildlife. These include brown bears, wolves, salmon, and bald eagles.
Through Griffin's Lens 