Turnagain Reflections Card

Turnagain Arm is an ocean inlet (fjord, actually) south of Anchorage, Alaska that experiences the word's second highest tides in the world - up to 10 feet. So much water is moving out with the tide or in with the tide that the inlet often looks more like a wide river than an ocean shoreline. At one moment you may notice the "river" and little icebergs flowing out of sight to your left. Several hours later, you notice the "river" (and those same icebergs) flowing to your right! Twice a day, all of this motion comes to a halt as the tides shift gear. For only 15 or 20 minutes each day, the ocean waters are as calm as a high alpine lake. Icebergs slowly pirouette in an eerie silence. This image is that brief moment of calm.