It is time to say goodbye to Alaska for another season, and it said goodbye to us in epic fashion. The weather was beautiful, the seas were calm, there was a plethora of wildlife, and the adventures ran thick. Our guests were excited and eager to answer the call of the wilderness that only Alaska can provide.
On Baranof Island along a tranquil rocky stream we watched as 15 different bears spent time chasing salmon, or each other, trying to get their fill. A few times some of the younger bears looked like they were heading out way, but we remained safe and sound ontop of the river bank.
Back out on the water we had multiple encounters with feeding humpback whales. We watched from the bow of the Quest as the fading light of day backlit the blows of one group. Then the next day we sped off on our small zodiac skiffs to get a closer look at bubble net feeding humpbacks.
After the bubble netting the guests were sure the experience couldn't be topped. Then we found a group of 20+ whales milling about in one area. It turns out there was a huge concentration of krill. So we jetted off in the skiffs once again and plopped ourselves to drift amongst the whale bonanza. Bright red whale poop floated by from time to time giving us a hint as to their current prey.
Then as we lay in bed after darkness the call on the microphone from our night deckhand came over the PA to let us know that northern lights, the aurora borealis, could be seen in the night sky. I grabbed my camera, set it for a long exposure, and after 8 seconds this is what I got. Luckily we had a very still night so the movements of the boat were minimal and the reflection off the water was magnificent.
It turns out September is a great time of year to be here in Southeast Alaska. The whales finally showed up in the masses. I wonder if this means the Hawaii whale season will get a late start as well.
All of this happened before we even showed the guests a glacier. But that was going to be epic as well. Some of the stillest water conditions ever greeted us near Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm. We took out skiffs and kayaks to enjoy the mirror-like water and reflections of ice. The ice got thicker and thicker the closer we got to the face of the glacier. These events combined only make up a small amount of the highlights of this trip. It is why Alaska can be such an amazing place to cruise...or better yet, to UnCruise.
It is time to say goodbye to Alaska for another season, and it said goodbye to us in epic fashion. The weather was beautiful, the seas were calm, there was a plethora of wildlife, and the adventures ran thick. Our guests were excited and eager to answer the call of the wilderness that only Alaska can provide.
On Baranof Island along a tranquil rocky stream we watched as 15 different bears spent time chasing salmon, or each other, trying to get their fill. A few times some of the younger bears looked like they were heading out way, but we remained safe and sound ontop of the river bank. 
After the bubble netting the guests were sure the experience couldn't be topped. Then we found a group of 20+ whales milling about in one area. It turns out there was a huge concentration of krill. So we jetted off in the skiffs once again and plopped ourselves to drift amongst the whale bonanza. Bright red whale poop floated by from time to time giving us a hint as to their current prey.
It turns out September is a great time of year to be here in Southeast Alaska. The whales finally showed up in the masses. I wonder if this means the Hawaii whale season will get a late start as well.
All of this happened before we even showed the guests a glacier. But that was going to be epic as well. Some of the stillest water conditions ever greeted us near Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm. We took out skiffs and kayaks to enjoy the mirror-like water and reflections of ice. The ice got thicker and thicker the closer we got to the face of the glacier. These events combined only make up a small amount of the highlights of this trip. It is why Alaska can be such an amazing place to cruise...or better yet, to UnCruise. 
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