July 26, 2023

On board and ready to see Alaska, we settled into our cabin and watched Vancouver fade away. Glaucous Gulls were our escort out of the harbor but soon they, too, dropped back. As the sun set we sailed north to our first port of call, Juneau. Juneau is the capital of Alaska and is unique among capital cities as there are no roads connecting the city to the rest of the state, or North America. It’s only accessible by sea or air. It’s also the second-largest city in the United States by area. The population of Juneau is approximately 35,000 but increases by as many as 6,000 people a day from visiting cruise ships. And like most Alaskan towns, the numbers grow in the 6 month summer season as tourism swells and short-term seasonal workers move in to fill the need. For our Juneau adventure we opted to join a small whale watching group in Auke Bay, followed by a hike to see Medenhall Glacier.

Our boat captain, Captain Michael, was formerly stationed in this area with the Coast Guard, and knew the bay like the back of his hand. Right away we started seeing tall sprays of water coming from the spouts of dozens of Humpback whales swimming in the area. First the spray, then the back of the whales as they breached, followed by a flip of the tail as they went back underwater. Did you know whale tails are as unique as a fingerprint? Whales are identified and cataloged by name and tail features, and like banded birds, they can be sighted and identified. On confirmation of your ID you’ll also receive life history information about the whale, including other locations it was sighted, if it’s known to be male or female, or if ever seen with a calf.

But the highlight of the morning was a group of six to eight whales that chose the area around us to bubble net feed. This feeding style reminded me of our dolphins and their strand-feeding technique, and like our dolphins, is unique to limited areas and a real treasure to witness. Whales dive deep below schools of fish and use bubbles blown from their blowholes to stun and trap fish closer to the surface. One whale leads the effort and is usually the one responsible for blowing the bubbles and sounding the alarm for the other whales to start moving. The other whales surround the fish and swim in spirals up to the surface. The Humpback Whales feed by leaving their mouths opened, swallowing everything in their path.

And we got to see it, not once, not twice, but eight times. After feeding they’d go back underwater and we would wait. Captain Michael lowered an underwater microphone and turned up the volume. With amazing clarity we could hear the whales communicating just before their bubble net feed. We knew they were about to pop up. What we didn’t know was where! There were a few other boats nearby and suddenly a frenzy of water exploded right between our boat and the others. We had front row seats to 1000 tons of hungry Humpback Whales. Absolutely incredible.

We didn’t see many seabirds in the bay, perhaps they were keeping their distance from the whales for safety, but we did see a few Marbled Murrelets bobbing around on the water. Like many of our seabirds, they float along the surface then dive down for fish. Glaucous Gulls also swooped around the harbor, and the ever-present Bald Eagles perched in trees or tops of buildings in the marina. Both looking for fish scraps for an easy meal.

After an amazing morning of whale watching, we boarded our bus to the Tongass National Forest and Mendenhall Glacier, with our naturalist guide sharing information about the history of the area along the way. Once we arrived, we had a “bear safety” talk, then hit the trails, heading to the lake at the base of the glacier. Along the way we were treated to a symphony of Hermit Thrushes. I’ve never heard so many in one place! It was the most beautiful, flute-like sound. Once the glacier was in view I immediately noticed several white terns flying over the ice. Arctic Terns! With their beautiful, long tails, they were an elegant sight. Holding the record for the longest migration of any animal in the world, Arctic Terns make an annual journey from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. As they meander across oceans and continents instead of flying directly north to south, they rack up a lot of miles. One tern was tracked at nearly 60,000 miles.

Day three brought us to Icy Strait and the island of Chichagof, 30 miles west of Juneau. We were a group of eight bird-enthusiasts (actually seven birding enthusiasts and one husband along for the ride – my husband). Our guide was a local birding expert, with extensive knowledge of the area and all the local birds we were likely to see. To top it off, she was taking us to an area we would never be able to access otherwise – off the grid to her family’s 70-acre property. Hermit Thrush, Dark Eyed Junco and Townsends Warblers were everywhere. In addition to these we saw Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Pacific Wrens, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, Fox and Lincoln Sparrows, as well as Orange-crowned and Wilson’s Warblers. Definitely a top birding destination.

As we came to the turnaround point of the trail our guide motioned for us to stop and pointed quietly out into a field. Two Coastal Brown Bears were foraging through the field, eating leaves and roots of some of their favorite plants. They glanced our way, and one stood up to get a better look, but decided we were far enough away not to be of interest and went back to eating. We watched and then went on our way, not wanting to stress or disturb them in any way. As a precaution, all guides in Alaska carry bear spray and/or bear guns (50 caliber, made specifically for bear). Fortunately, wisdom prevails and the guides strongly believe in leaving the wildlife wild, not approaching, and not stressing them in any way, reducing the chance of ever having to use these measures. I suspect it’s more to protect the tourists who refuse to listen and follow the rules, putting themselves and others in a dangerous situation, which I have no doubt happens at times.