MAKING THE VIDEOS

Over the years as a commercial fisherman and fish buyer in Alaska, I heard a lot of great stories... So then this friend, Dan Kowalksi, a filmmaker and also an Alaska commercial fisherman, suggested we start trying to get some of these stories on film.. but there was one big caveat: It Had To Be Fun... Well, the first time we went to film, it was almost too much fun... Here's what happened:

In the spring of 2009, we took Dan's boat up to this remote fjord called Fords Terror, and there was this stunner of an iceberg in there.. the biggest I'd seen in Alaska, plus it had this amazing arch. Now... Dan and I, we know about icebergs, we know that as they melt the center of gravity changes, that they can capsize without warning... But, from the way this iceberg was laying, and not moving - there's a lot of current there - we were sure that it was grounded - sitting on the bottom. So we got into Dan's inflatable dingy, and buzzed over to the iceberg. We shut off the motor and were just standing in the dingy, taking photos and just mesmerized by the beauty of it all - there were waterfalls tumbling down the hillside, curious seals poking their heads up - a truly amazing moment.

Then... there was this low rumble.. and Dan said to me, "The iceberg is talking to us... " And about ten seconds later, the iceberg broke in half right at the top of the arch. And as we stood there with our cameras hanging around our necks and our jaws about down to our knees, the left of the now two icebergs rolled toward us in slow motion and its top smacked into the water about 10 feet behind our outboard motor... And the other iceberg rolled away from us, but as it did the part that had been underwater before now rolledup, pushing our dingy back and actually rolling water into it. Finally we had the brains to start the motor and get the hell out of there.

When we could breathe again, Dan turned to me, "OK.. what's the worst that could have happened? We would have been in the water, we would have lost our cameras, but we could have flipped the dingy back upright, the motor wouldn't start, but we could have rowed the mile back to the boat ..."

Or not... so take it from a couple of experienced guys - stay away from icebergs in small boats....

June 2009 - The adventure begins: pilot extraordinaire Jacques flew me out to a rendevous with Dan, where we had an almost too close call with The Bad Iceberg at Ford's Terror.

The Bad Iceberg - see story on left - were we too overconfident, or just lulled by its tranquil beauty?

2011 - Film team Dan and Melissa Kowalski on location at Wrangell Narrows, AK.. No icebergs for us this year!

And while we were shooting and getting a bit chilled... friends called: did we want to go and pick their shrimp pots with them... Not a bad way to end the shoot!

And then, on top of all that.. when it was time to hit the sack that night, there was no sleeping bag for me... so I had to sleep with all my clothes on, including a Farmer John style kayaking wetsuit, and I was still cold!