Juneau

2nd port day: Juneau

Our time was very limited in Juneau, so we were quick to make a decision on what to do when we got off the ship.  We decided to go to Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching!  I was a little hesitant to go whale watching with the kids because when Jon and I were in high school we went whale watching and I got sick!  But I think this port was the highlight of our trip!  

Mendenhall Glacier was so beautiful!  The pictures just don't do it justice!  The blue colors of the glacier are amazing!  

 After 45 minutes at the Glacier, we were taken to the dock for the whale watching!  

The day was fairly overcast, but the was no wind and the water was calm and smooth!   

When we headed out on the boat our tour guide, Chelsea, told us we would be looking for Humpback whales.  She said they occasionally see Orcas, but only about 10% of the time.  Not too long after we headed out we ran into a pod of 10-12 Orcas!  They were beautiful!  Chelsea said the one that appeared to be the alpha male had a dorsal fin that was probably 6 feet tall!  It was hard to get good pictures of them, but they were amazing to watch as they just swam near our boat!  

 The fin to the right was the one believed to be the alpha male

Can you tell how much fun they are having?

 Once the pod of Orcas left we turned around to find a Humpback!  It was quick to do a terminal dive which allowed us to see it's tail!  Another magnificent animal to watch as they swim through the water! 

 We saw three different Humpbacks before we had to head back to the docks so we could get back to our ship!

 Our marine animal expert!

 We saw this bald eagle as we were headed back to the docks.  I didn't realize how tall bald eagles were until Chelsea pointed out that those green signs are 4 feet by 4 feet!

 They have graffiti Alaska, so sad in such a beautiful place!

 We have seen several sea planes since we have been in Alaska!   It is really fun to watch them take of and land in the water!

After we got back on the ship we had lunch and then headed to "Slime Time"!  The kids went with their friends from camp and had a great time!

We were supposed to sail from Juneau to see Sawyer Glacier, but conditions didn't allow for the ship to take that course.  The Captain made a decision to go to another Glacier (I think it was called Dawson Glacier). On the way to the glacier it was neat to see all the pieces of ice in the water and the amazing color of the water!  So beautiful!

 This ice looked like an alligator going after a whale!

 A few of the waterfalls we saw!

The Glacier!  While I don't think it was a beautiful as Mendenhall Glacier, it was neat to see the boat go up to it and then do a 360 degree turn and cruise back out!