Juneau, Alaska July 19th

Following our in-room breakfast routine and workout in the health club, we learned that we would be passing the entrance to Tracy Arm Fjord approximately 8:30am before arriving in Juneau at noon. Since Dianne and had taken that excursion two Fridays previous, iceberg entrance was very familiar.

A nice, semi-clear afternoon welcomed us in Juneau. Once we were allowed to debark the ship, our group of eight had some time to pre-shop before our whale excursion. Since the location of our excursion company was conveniently downtown, directions were easy to follow and meet at the appropriate time.

In 2006 was Dianne and my first experience with whale watching in Juneau. What we saw were several humpback whales backs and tails. A few people saw a whale breach, but I wasn't in that group.

Using a group our Juneau friends recommended from their 2008 experience was a totally different story. The phrase "being at the right place at the right time" was significant to remember.

Leaving Auke Bay, just north of Juneau, we maneuvered into the open water by our main guide and owner, Captain Larry. He had a knowledgeable naturalist that kept pouring information into our heads about the area, the animals and hopefully, what we might see on this excursion.

Here's the routine from Captain Larry. When he found a group of sea gulls circling overhead it was time to cut the engines and wait for the incredible event. The humpback whales do not have any teeth, so they swallow water and fish, straining the water out of their system. They can hold in the billow-type bottom portion of their mouths up to 15,000 gallons of water.

Now for the fun part to this scene. Once the whales locate the herring, the dive below the fish, and in a clock-wise direction begin blowing bubbles thru their blowhole. Since the herring are afraid of the bubbles, they continue moving toward the surface. Once the herring are close to the surface, the seagulls drop water level and grab a few of the herring.

Here's the point where you better have your field glasses or cameras on ready. The next event is difficult to describe, but I'll give it a shot. The circling whales break the surface with their mouths open to the maximum, gulping in water and fish. The process of surfacing and completing their eating routine lasts maybe three minutes.

The whales now look to locate another school of herring and repeat the process. We had the good fortune to be between two "pods" of bubble net fishing whales. When one pod finished, the other group were close to surfacing. We probably watched this hunt and fish routine for over forty-five minutes.

My job was to capture as much of the bubble net fishing as possible. My professional digital camera can record seven frames per minute. So, I began firing when the whales surfaced and stopped when it seemed to be finished. One couple standing nearby during one of these events asked how many images I was taking per feed. Their eyes got big when they heard the answer.

Morris told me once we returned to Auke Bay, "I was hoping to see some whale tales" during this excursion. I never thought for a moment that we would see something like this." You can safely say we were extremely impressed, satisfied with booking this excursion group and awed by the beauty of whale bubble net fishing.

Once on shore, we rode a school bus to Gold Creek for a buffet dinner of salmon, chicken, cooked on open grilles, various salads, vegetables, desert and drinks. Dianne and I had enjoyed this same group in 2006 and our band of eight wanted to book this excursion for this trip.

Gold Creek runs along the western edge of the eating area. So, it was off to see if we could spot salmon, and take husband/wife pictures in front of the small water fall.

Our Juneau friends met us here and six of our group and they sped off in a rental van. Our next stop a short ride from Gold Creek was Mendenhall Glacier. There was a light mist in the air, so the group decided not to walk to the waterfall area to be closer to the glacier itself. After some picture taking and looking around the immediate area, we boarded our van and journeyed to downtown Juneau.

Here is where we planned some serious shopping time and having a soft drink in the famous Red Dog Saloon. Riding the tram halfway up Mtn. Rogers was cut from our list due to fog conditions. If you went to the top of the tram, you would be looking down onto the fog, not downtown Juneau and Gastineau Channel. That money was saved for other shopping opportunities.

Since we had the salmon dinner experience, eating in the formal dining room on the ship wasn't required. And boarding the ship at 9:30pm, we missed the entertainment in the theatre based on a water theme.

Time, once we disembarked, was spent relaxing on deck and then to the room to be greeted by another towel animal, mark our in-room breakfast card, and preparations to sleep. Monday would be another day at sea and several activities on board the ship.