Ketchikan 2023

Our last Alaskan port of call this past summer was Ketchikan, a place Danelle and I had both visited in the past.  On a whim, we booked an excursion on the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour -- a vessel that had previously been a part of the Deadliest Catch television show before being converted for tourism.  We were skeptical, but assured by many that it was actually a blast.

It definitely exceeded our expectations!  The captain and crew were fun, friendly, and informative.  We got to see and handle lots of cool marine life.  And the absolute highlight was when we neared an island that actually belonged to one of the local indigenous tribes.  Our tour company had a deal with the tribe that allowed them to feed Bald Eagles in their waters, something that's apparently not allowed in the United States.  So all the photos below are baited, but the birds themselves are wild.

Even with a light, steady rain I knew this was something I needed to get my camera out for.  I headed up top and tried to frantically dust of my very rusty skills at shooting birds in flight.  Somehow, this was one of my first efforts.

 

The birds were quite familiar with the routine.  Our crew tossed the fish, and while the eagles sometimes caught them in the air they usually grabbed them from the water.

I found it interesting that the birds never seemed to fight for a fish.  They took turns, clearly seeming to know who was up next.

Like the Humpback Whales near Wrangell, I could have gladly sat and watched these predators in action for hours.

I tended to get greedy and zoom in too close, resulting in clipping some of my subject out of the photo.

But often enough, I got a bird sharp and fully in frame.

The bright overcast conditions seemed to work in my favor -- like when shooting wildflowers -- reducing harsh shadows and extreme contrast.

No offense to Benjamin Franklin, but these were a MUCH better choice for our national bird than the Wild Turkey.

I know that Bald Eagle populations have recovered and their range is much larger than it was recently.  I saw them close to home in both Colorado and Texas in the past.  But Alaska seems like their true home.

Everyone who claimed that spending an afternoon with the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour was absolutely right.  While the eagles were the highlight for me, the whole outing was a great time.  Highly recommend!

Related Links:

• Wrangell Whale Watching
• Sitka 2023

Sitka 2023

Stop two on our summer Alaskan cruise was Sitka. Like Wrangell, this was a port I'd never been to before. We had booked a wildlife viewing boat excursion through Sitka Sea Level Adventures, and prepared to see what our guide Jaren could find in the beautiful Sitka Sound.

The wildlife viewing began before we even got on the boat, with an accommodating Common Raven perched on the pier.

We circled a group of Steller Sea Lions enjoying the summer afternoon on a buoy.

They didn't pay us much attention.

They didn't pay us any attention at all, really.  Too busy napping, which I can respect.

The area was dotted with rocky little islands densely covered with trees.

We circled a fishing boat hard at work.  It was interesting to watch people making their living from the water in a different way.

Jaren knew just where to find some sea otters, who watched us with mild interest.

Another Steller Sea Lion surfaced while swimming.

Fireweed was in full bloom on shore.

Even though we didn't see a ton of wildlife, it was still a terrific excursion.  Nature works that way sometimes.  Still, getting to see some sea otters was definitely a treat!

Related Links:

• Wrangell Whale Watching

Wrangell Whale Watching

Danelle and I have gone on whale watching excursions in the past.  I don't remember them very well, in large part because we didn't see many whales and the ones we did see didn't really do anything memorable.  That's nature, though.  I get it.

Undaunted, we booked another whale watching trip with Alaska Charters & Adventures last month while on a summer cruise.  Would this time be any better?

In a word, yes!

We headed southwest out of Wrangell and didn't even reach our planned destination before we saw whale activity -- a Humpback tail!

I didn't realize that the underside of a Humpback tail looks somewhat like a giant alien staring at you.  The markings are apparently distinctive like human fingerprints and can be used to identify individual whales.

Our captain smartly waited around and we saw the whale come up to feed!

After closing its massive mouth the whale would slowly sink back below the surface.

We began to recognize a pattern -- we'd see the tail a few times, then nothing for a prolonged stretch right before the whale came back up to feed.

Did I say whale?  I meant whales.  It was crazy how close to shore they were.  Clearly the land drops off pretty steeply!

Capturing the blow was a challenge.  You were never quite sure where or when they were going to pop up.

When they flipped their tails in sync, it was a real treat.

Do whales have fun?  Because it sure seemed like some of the splashing around they were doing was pretty fun.

We eventually figured out there were three whales in all -- possibly a bull, cow, and calf.  And they were bubble-net feeding!  Our captain gave us helpful hints of things to look for to have a better sense of when and where they would surface to grab a mouthful -- bubbles on the surface, and birds circling the area.  I never got every good at accurately predicting them, but I was right on the spot for this moment.

The giant creatures don't stay above water for long.  I guess I don't really know why they would.

All too quickly, their mouths would close and they would go back under to repeat the cycle.

We never did make it to our planned destination.  Why bother, when these three were quite content to put on an extended show?  So we trailed them down the coast for more than two hours before eventually heading back to port.

Finally, a memorable whale watch!  Many thanks to Alaska Charters & Adventures for making it happen!

Related Links:

• Sitka 2023

Ketchikan, Part II

Click here for Part I.

Even the most seemingly mundane aspects of an area can be interesting when they're so different from what you're used to, like mushrooms ...

... and slugs!  We saw lots of these black ones, and they were big -- at least three inches long.  Couldn't get the kids to pick any of them up.

I walked right by this moss-covered tree without thinking of shooting it.  Then Danelle mentioned that she thought it looked cool, so I snapped one token photo.  I'm glad I did!

Did I mention I found the slugs interesting?  These two are especially gross, with their convincing imitation of dog poop and slime trail.

On to slightly more appealing subjects -- the totems at Potlatch Park.  This is where having a local guide really came in handy.  I had downloaded a Southeast Alaska travel app for my iPhone that recommended three different options for checking out totems in the Ketchikan area, and this place wasn't included.  And it was fantastic.

Lots of great authentic totems, and since our guide Tracy was a native herself we also got to hear interesting details and local folklore.

I've enjoyed the native art style of the Pacific Northwest ever since I read The Mystery at Devil's Paw as a young boy.  The totem pole on the cover always intrigued me.

I saved most of my Hardy Boys and Tom Swift books from my youth, but haven't been able to get Zak interested in any of them.  Same with my old sports cards, although he will occasionally read some of my old comic books.  Guess I'll just have to wait and see if I ever have a grandson. :)

Slaves were depicted very generically on the totems, as if to strip them of their identities.  I thought a monochrome shot even further reinforced their lack of individuality -- almost dehumanization.  "It puts the salmon in the basket ..."

As Danelle and Taryn went to explore the gift shop I had one of those moments that reminds me why I try to carry my camera so often.  We stumbled upon some beautiful foxgloves, a flower that doesn't grow wild in Colorado.

The striking petals, water droplets and faint line of spider silk running along the stalk made one of my last pictures from our trip one of my favorites!

Ketchikan, Part I

We docked in Ketchikan on Aug. 10, where Danelle had arranged a private excursion for us with Wild Wolf Tours.  Our guide was also the owner, and she crammed a lot of great stuff for us into a relatively short four hours.  Like this bald eagle sitting on the edge of a viewing platform, with a feather inexplicably sticking in the wood.

A lot of groups stopped to see that bald eagle.  But we were the only ones to drive no more than another quarter of a mile away down a side road towards a salmon hatchery where we also saw this juvenile eagle and at least four black bears, including two cubs.  Our vantage point was too far away to get compelling photos of the bears, but it was still fun to watch them amble about.

The bubbles behind this gull reminded me of a scene from Finding Nemo.

The "liquid sunshine" continued to accompany us on and off.  Taryn had had about enough of the rain.

The constant presence of water gave even common things like fireweed a completely different look than they have in Colorado.

Lots of plants in Alaska seem to have red berries.  Some are safe to eat, others not so much.  I have no doubt I would get them completely wrong if I were stranded in the wilderness.

A wonderful short hike on the Ward Creek Trail got us much closer to a black bear than the ones we saw earlier.  One was fishing right below an overlook platform at which we stopped.

I have no idea how he could possibly see anything to catch in the swift-moving water.  From what I could tell, he didn't seem to have much idea either.

Black bears apparently shake just like dogs when they get too wet.  And they don't look any more dignified doing so.

The bear was probably only in view for a couple of minutes before disappearing back into the undergrowth.  I couldn't help but marvel at our good fortune in arriving at just the right spot at just the right time to see him.  A real treat!

Click here for Part II.