We boarded a motor coach at the Cruise Ship Pier that took us out of Juneau. Our driver drove through Mendenhall Valley to Auk Bay where we boarded the Wildlife Quest Catamaran for a 4 hour tour. On the way he provided a narrative on the area and pointed out the Auk is Native American for "lake" as we passed Auk Lake (Lake Lake).
We boarded the two level catamaran which held about 150 passengers. Binoculars were provided as well as hot drinks and snacks. The hot drinks were most appreciated through our cold and windy trip. Although some people never left the comfortable cabin many others raced to the outdoor decks for photos and wildlife sightings. If you plan to be outside dress warmly and be prepared to hold onto a rail in rough seas.
We were not disappointed. Having become acquainted with the mandatory "clock" system for sighting ("Whale at 9 o'clock!) we headed toward Admiralty Island and up through Saginaw and Lynn Channels where we saw harbour and stellar seals and bald eagles as Dall Porpoise leaped along our boat. (Our guides pointed out the later are called "film wasters" as we made futile attempts to get a photo). All along the way our knowledgable guides pointed out major sights as well as historical and wildlife information.
Then in Favorite Channel- whales! Even our guides were surprised, especially since humpbacked whales are normally solitary creatures. We learned to quickly spot their blows and saw at least 10 whales. Our guides pointed out one group that was working together to create a "bubble net" to trap krill and small fish.
We took lots of pictures showing tiny black specks in the grey waves that only we know are whales flipping their tails out of the water before they make a deep dive. Our guides suggested to simply put away our cameras for a while and appreciate what we were seeing. These were grand creatures far removed from the bell ringing captive of a concrete Sea World pool.
We were enthralled watching these giants in the open sea and absolutely delighted when two females allowed their calves to follow their curiousity and poke their heads out of the water to look at us.
Our guides delayed our leaving and explained that this number of whales was an exceptional day even for them. There were no complaints we would have gladly spent all day.
As all good things must come to an end we began our trip back to the dock and all aboard were a little quieter perhaps reflecting on the day. Then we passed a buoy and everyone started laughing. A group of stellar seals had climbed aboard for a rest and were rocking away as we passed by. Perfect ending.
Go again? Absolutely.