Having a Whale of a Good Time!

After being at sea for 45 hours we finally reached our first destination:  Juneau.

We pulled into the port in Juneau around 1:30 PM on Sunday and were off the boat in what I consider to be record time: probably less than 10 minutes from the time we left our room, headed down 5 flights of stairs, and and made our way through security to the ramp leading to the port.  How amazing is that?

Bill pulled out his selfie stick and took a group photo of the six of us.

and then one of Marty and me outside the boat. 

which gives you an idea of the enormity of it. 

We had some extra time before our pre planned excursion so we took in some sites near the port. 

I’ll admit that finding the tour company wasn’t as easy as they implied in their paperwork, but we eventually found ourselves on an air conditioned bus heading to the excursion site.  

It does seem kind of ridiculous that we were seeking air conditioning, but the temperature was in the low 80’s believe it or not, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, so being out in the sun actually felt pretty warm!  We certainly did get lucky with the weather as you can see by the predicted temps for the rest of the week. 

We boarded the boat that is only one month old and super comfortable.  It held 46 passengers and three crew members, which offered the opportunity for every single person to have a spectacular view of the surroundings.  I was in awe of the beauty of our surroundings and, of course, the perfect weather only enhanced that beauty. 

Our tour director, Tess, was obviously extremely enthusiastic about whales as was soon proven when she became super excited about every single one that was spotted.  

The whales each have their own name, and the crew is able to identify them by the markings on their tales which are unique to each whale.  There were also at least 3 baby whales swimming around as well, and one of them actually jumped up and breeched into the water, resulting in ooohs and aahhhhs  all around.  

We could hear the spouting, which was actually quite surreal.  It was as if the whale was giving us a clue to its activities. 

Then, we witnessed  the water spout which looks somewhat like steam in the photo

followed by the raising of the back

with the tale then lifting to the top, making a waving motion before plunging deep into the water for a dive. 

Just spectacular!  Words really can't describe the awesomeness of witnessing this close up. 

All said, we had 15 spottings!  Now, I personally can’t say that we saw 15 different whales, because some of the sightings were in the same location, and I can’t help but wonder if the same whale was putting on a show for us in that particular spot.  But, I can say, that every single sighting, from the spotting of the spouting to the end result of tail waving, was an awesome sight to see! 

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the cute seals that were sun bathing on a buoy. 

We were out on the water for nearly 3 hours before returning by bus to the pier so that we could board the ship.  Our bus driver stopped at a viewing area along the route, for us to get a quick photo of the Mendenhall Glacier.

The wild flowers in bloom offered a stunning photo.

Reboarding was as efficient as getting off the boat.  We needed to show our room card then go through security before getting back on.  We were greeted with smiling faces, each welcoming us back, offered a warm towel to wipe our hands, and then given a cup of warm apple cider once inside.  I imagine on a cold, rainy day, that particular treat is especially welcomed.  But it certainly was a nice gesture, even on a warm day. 

Dinner on board was, once again, delectable.

We headed out of Juneau around 10:00 pm. 

What an amazing day it was!