Monday night
Arrived in Sitka about 8:30 pm. Ed’s bag did not arrive with us but mine did! Bad on Delta, but an Alaska flight brought it the next morning.
Tuesday
We explored Sitka in the afternoon with our tour group. This included the Raptor Center, the Sheldon Jackson Museum of the Native people’s, the Tlingit. In addition, a show demonstrating their ancient songs and dances. The Captain greeted us as we boarded the ship and he and Ed immediately recognized one another from the 2016 trip. There were also several crew members who remembered him! We were quite tired, had a great meal and slept well.
Wednesday
Breakfast was at 0730. Many choices cooked to order. We feel as though all we have done is eat since leaving home. We had Oatmeal in-spite of many yummy choices. Next we kayaked and went on a zodiac run through the waters of Chatham Bay and the Icy Strait with our onboard naturalist. There were hundreds of large jellyfish everywhere near the boat. They were so beautiful and graceful. The tide came in so fast while we were on the beach it was amazing to watch. Lunch was a full menu, all homemade. Everyone read, played cards or napped in the afternoon. Dinner offered white salmon, which I had never heard of. I did not think it was as flavorful as the pink breeds. We had a lecture on Humpback whales in the evening, which was immediately preceded by the blowing and tail slapping of our first sighting of whales!
Thursday
A guide from the Hoonah Tlingit Natural Heritage Center and a Ranger from Glacier Bay National Park came aboard this morning. As we made our way toward the end of Glacier Bay to the magnificent Glacier, Margerie, they taught and shared insights of the area. This is a tidal Glacier which means it flows right to the sea. We saw only one bear in route, but many goats. We were fortunate to see some ice calving. The groans, creaking and "white thunder" cracking noises were impressive! As you will see in the photos, we watched a mama otter with her baby on her chest. She dumped him in the water and he protested loudly! The picture was from the Visitor center. This afternoon we are dropping our guests off at Bartlett Cove. We will go to the Visitor Center and hike a bit. It was a beautiful wooded and marshy terrain. Saw two bear scat and it seemed a perfect place to see moose but we did not see either. There was an amazing reconstruction of a Humpback whale, named Snow. Scientists have learned a great deal from her carcass. She was "right finned" and still has remnants of a pelvis, that at one time, supported legs! Dinner was gourmet, clams and lamb chops with creme brûlée for dessert. On to Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier.
At the Margerie Glacier
Humpback whale "Snow"
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