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  3. TRAVEL 2014
  4. CRUISE TO ALASKA!

ONWARD TO JUNEAU!

A glacier, a tram, whales, and some of the local flavor of Juneau.
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And hey, even if there had not been whales, look at this view!
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And hey, even if there had not been whales, look at this view!

acfwhaleview

  • Back down.....
  • The Alaskan Hotel and Bar, in downtown Juneau, is the oldest operating hotel in Alaska (opened September 16, 1913). A guide told us that this was a place where locals hung out (as opposed to tourists). It was not all that busy when we were there, but I did enjoy the authentic ambiance.
  • After our drink at the Alaksan Hotel bar, we decided to take a look at one of the more famous tourist places. The Red Dog Saloon was a hopping place, with good salmon spread.
  • Sawdust on the floor. Definitely more of a "fake" ambiance than at the Alaskan, but the Red Dog folks really know how to pack the place.
  • Now for our little whale watching excursion. Oh, those aren't whales, by the way. Eagles were plentiful around Juneau.
  • Seals.
  • Not sure whether that's a seal of approval or not. But he doesn't seem to DIS-approve.
  • Eagle and seal.
  • Bev and I have seen humpback whales (probably some of these same ones) in Hawaii, but the behavior is TOTALLY different here. They migrate to Hawaii in the winter time to have young. While there, they totally stop feeding and loose considerable weight. When they return to Alaskan waters in the summer, they gorge themselves in preparation for their return trip to Hawaii. To feed, the group (from what I see online, "group" is the proper term, not "pod" or "herd" or any other similar term) swims around in a circle while blowing bubbles to form a bubble net, which traps krill and small fish inside the bubble area. Then the whales in unison rise up head first through the middle of the bubbled area with their mouths gaping open. Water rushes into their mouths and then filters out through slits which are lined by baleen (basically fibers which catch the little critters in the water). This leaves the animal contents of the water ready for the whale to swallow without having to take in massive amounts of water. The group of 10 or so whales, each weighing up to 79,000 pounds, breaking the surface with their food bounty is an amazing sight to see!
  • Our boat captain lowered a microphone into the water. If you listen at the very beginning of this video, you'll hear the the whales. They would make this sound immediately prior to surfacing. So we would know WHEN they would surface, but not WHERE they would be (thus the spin of the camera to catch the action). You'll hear a better recording of the whales talking in a later video. <br /> <br /> Notice also how the seagulls swarm around the whales. Apparently the whales are not 100% effective in swallowing everything in their path, so the seagulls feast on what is left over.
  • Each whale tail has distinctive markings, and these are used by researchers to identify specific whales.
  • Each whale eats about 3,000 pounds of food per day.
  • About 3 to 4 seconds into this video, you'll hear a whale snort (it's called a "trumpet," actually). Then, about 32 seconds in you'll start to hear the underwater whale chatter picked up on the microphone (just before they break the surface).
  • After another mouthwatering (literally) bite, time to relax at the surface a bit prior to diving down for more.
  • We were in total awe.
  • And hey, even if there had not been whales, look at this view!
  • Phenomenal! I think you can even see the tongue of the whale to your right.<br /> <br /> That tongue, by the way, is about the size of a Volkswagen. However, the opening into the throat is only about the size of a grapefruit.
  • Wow! First of all, I apologize for the shaky video. Watch as these majestic creatures approach closer and closer. They actually get so close that the lens set-up I had would not focus on them! So, it gets blurred and shaky -- but I left that in there because the laughter and screams of joy you hear from the boat passengers captures the moment perfectly. Then these magnificent beasts wave goodbye with their massive tails. An apex experience for sure. Totally awesome!
  • Back on board the Oosterdam, looking at the Grand Princess as we begin casting off. Goodbye, Juneau. I hope to see you again soon!<br /> <br /> By the way: After the small boat of our phenomenal whale encounter docked, we just happened to run on to a couple who were excellent friends when they lived here on Saipan several years ago. I knew that Brian and Bethany had moved to Alaska, but somehow it had not dawned on me that they were in Juneau. Anyway, I was so stunned (in an amazingly positive way) by all the whales and then the seeming little miracle of meeting up with Brian and Bethany that I didn't think to take any photos of them. Now I wish I had, but oh well, seeing them was quite an enjoyable surprise -- and maybe I'll get photos of them next year!<br /> <br /> If you happen to read this, Brian and Bethany: Thank-you so much for your time and conversation! You're looking great and we enjoyed seeing you.
  • VERY short segment as we start heading toward Skagway, which you'll need to catch the NEXT album for<br /> <br /> DON'T MISS IT!
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