Returning along the Inside Passage 25th Sept 2015

 0800hrs weather variable with distant bird life only harbour seals and Stellers sea lions on the
port side interrupted by distant divers.

Around 1230hrs distant views of Humpback whales,a squall of rain passed through,the
intermittent sunshine and white horses against a landscape of pines and puffy accumulus set
the scene as we cruised back.
1430hrs the rain seems to have set in my sea watch comes to a halt,time for a siesta, a couple
of hrs later resumed sea watching passing through Alert Bay noting the totems along the shore.

Ketchikan 24th September 2015

0730 hrs approaching Ketchikan rain and rainbows, as we dock a bald eagle flys overhead.
A big community here with a large church on the waterfront.

Two Stellers Jays fly around the port as we disembark we head off for our bus to take
us on our tour to Neets Bay.

We took off for Neets bay by float plane it took about 15 minutes,flying over the
misty fjiord up and across Revilla island and landed in pouring rain.
On arrival our guide Amanda Moreno the hatchery owners wife ushered us along a path
through the trees.

She spoke loudly but affectively on the bears here showing us scratch marks dens
and the food plant Skunk Cabbage. A Bear was spotted on lake shore which was the haunt
of various gull species.

This proved to be the only bear so at times it was awkward to photograph,however the
rain did not help either.

Bald eagles ,crows ,gulls and ravens also put in an appearance as we all steadily got wet.

Even the bear sadly called Joe managed to eat a salmon past its sell by date which helped
satisfy this wet photographer and long suffering wife holding the brolly.

 

 

Other gulls notably Bonapartes and Mew also the common Glaucous winged obliged along

with American Dipper before we trudged back to the plane.

 We took off in torrid conditions as a rainbow arched in the sky as we turned for

Ketchikan a bald eagle flew under the plane,we landed safely back to the ship changed

clothes and went for chowder in Annabellas along the port.

Glacier Bay Alaska September 23rd

Around 0730hrs  approaching Glacier Bay,a few birds obliged eg Common Loon,cormorants and various alcids including common murre /guillemots.

The views were stunning as we neared our destination around 1015 hrs.

small icebergs against the glacial icefield,here a Tlingit Native American boarded the ship and a ranger gave us an insight to how the glacier stole their land. This was the Margerie  Glacier.

Then onwards to Lamplugh glacier.The native American  was a Huna Tlingit.

Arrived at Lamplugh glacier the temperature dropping again as we cruise past,suppose to be 50c
I beg to differ,around 1130 hrs  I photographed an otter upside down lazing in patchy sunshine.

Met the Hanu Tlingit at 1445 hrs a lecture in the Vista lounge Alaska Native Culture Native Voices,the lecture on Hanu Tlingit discussed Thunderbird clan the eagle and the raven and Potlatch food for the people.

Glacier bay 1350hrs splendid scenery  with otters and Kittiwakes,huge floatillas of guillemots  as we sailed away from Glacier Bay.

1735 hrs still sailing the light lingers on the snow capped mountains,clouds hover above
them the ship is moving quicker now as we head for another destination around 1845 hrs the skys
darken as Sooty shearwaters in conclusion Short tailed shearwaters difficult to separate in flight and
dark conditions.

 

Skagway the return fom summit to city

Arrived at the summit where at its lake we flushed a party of Harlequinn duck.

Flags here on the border a detachment of Mounties were based here alongside mountain pools
and flora.

The summit excursion turns here at White Pass,the engines switch to the front making us the last carriage down.

As you can see its quite desolate up here at the head of the pass.

This habitat produces very little in the way of birds as we make our way back down.

snow on the tops with sunshine was an added bonus.

On our way back down beneath the snow covered peaks.

passing the wooden trestle again,made for photographic opportunities.It was certainly
a great trip as we alighted in town.

We made our way to the Red Onion Saloon where a few drinks and chilli livened us up.

I did a tour of the establishment this one time brothel the ladies here serving

and giving informative knowledge of the oldest profession entertained us in this museum

depicting a brothel in Alaska.

We left and walked the side walks of Skagway in the early afternoon sunshine where the trees

in splendid autumn colours was lovely.

 

We browsed the shops and noted a few Steller's jays,we returned to the ship .Pre -1887

Skaqua or Shgagwei in Tlingit means  a windy place with white caps on the water

Skagway and the Yukon railway 22nd Septemer 2015

Arrived Skagway around 0630hrs after overnight cruising,the snow on the top of mountains greets
us as do the Ravens and eagles.

Left the ship around 0800hrs we boarded the White Pass and Yukon Railway narrow gauge from
Skagway at sea level ,we sat in our parlour cars with padded seats and bar pulled by diesel.

This summit excursion  was the Gateway to the Klondike,we pass the outlaw cemetery where
soapy smith and Frank Reid shot it out in 1898.
Next up the bridge and Denver Glacial trail as the railroad crosses the Skagway river.

Rocky point gives excellent views,Bridge and Pitchfork falls are easy to miss,after Black Cross
Rock,Bridal veil falls comes down off Mt Cleveland.

High line view leads to Glacier stn,a track winds up to Laughton Glacier here the loop line give
a sensation of flying at 16 mile the engineer sounds his whistle.

The railroad spans across Glacier gorge  crossing the trestle in to the tunnel.

At the18 mile spot a steel bridge constructed in 1901 was the tallest cantilever in the world it
replaced  a dizzying switch back with its timber trestle.

Further on another mile the bridge tunnel and trail of 98 produces a horseshoe curve great for photos.
When through the tunnel the upper reaches of Dead Horse Gulch and the visible remains of White Pass trail is etched in the ground.

At 20 miles we reach the summit of White Pass to be continued on the next blog chapter.

Tracey arm to Juneau Alaska 21st September2015

It was overcast with rain again ,the clocks went back an hr today,from the ship white horses and a back drop of wooded islands and mist covered mountains ,closer a few guillemots and the ubiquitous gulls.

A second year immature bald eagle flew towards the ship and back to land.
Juneau is the capital of Alaska and is situated in the Gastineau channel,it is famous
for the Meldenhall glacier,it was cold sea watching as we approached Juneau a Peregrine flew
over the ship,mallards and crows along the shore.

We disembarked around 1230hrs noting Steller's sea lions along the pier,here we met our guide
Trevor Wade who worked for Gastineau guiding,we took a bus to Auke cove where we boarded our
boat for a whale watching trip with Captain Annette.

Here's Trevor with a specimen,before leaving we saw Harlequinn and belted kingfisher.We
were soon on our way viewing superb Humpback  whales.

You can see by the weather it was not ideal conditions,Trevor and Annette gave us lots of details
on cetaceans as we scanned the bay for blows.

We got fairly close but the weather got worse as we approached these magnificent leviathans.

Hence the name Hump back followed if your lucky by the disappearing tail.

We saw up to 8 individuals 1 party with a calve distinguished by a shorter spout from its blow hole.
A rainbow with a back drop of the glacier ended our trip.We returned around 1700 hrs seeing a Bald
Eagle up close.

Vancouver to Alaska Sept 2015

It was raining in Vancouver  as we boarded M.S Nordam around lunchtime on the 19th ,we unpacked
and done our life boat drill.
Some sea watching produced Neotropic cormorants a few Brandt's about 30 Glaucous winged gulls
and 4 Sabines 3 ads and 1 juv. Passing Vancouver around 1800 hrs.

The following morning around 0330hrs disorientated birds flew past our window on migration.
0720 hrs up on deck identified golden crowned kinglet and savannah sparrow.at sea numbers of
shearwaters and a pod of Dall's porpoises  plus a single great blue heron.

Breakfast 0900hrs be it brief was interrupted by duck ,geese skeins and a party of phalarope.

Numbers of distant Humpback whales I guessed around 8 individuals,a northern flicker flew over
the ship.We passed Laredo sound around1300hrs then Grenville channel and Kennedy island into
Chatham sound.

Around 1700 hrs after noting 3 bald eagles and 3 belted kingfishers and flocks of duck including
Harlequinn and Wigeon,we called it a day .A formal evening not many in penguin suits just the bonds
and their vodka martinis .