Captain's log:
8:35am Picked up our first Alaskan pilot
12:00nn Overcast skies, moderate breeze; 10°C
1:40pm Safely docked in Juneau
10:05pm Unmoored
10:35pm Commenced voyage to Skagway
We had breakfast at the Lido restaurant as we preferred the freedom of choosing our seats (by the window of course) and food at leisure. We were excited at the prospect of reaching our first port of call and the possibility of encountering small pieces of ice floating pass us as we sail into the Gastineau channel. We decided to skip the morning's activities, preferring to hang around the Exploration cafe and at deck 6 until lunch, which we ate early as we would be going for the photo safari later.
The approach to Juneau was scenic with many waterfalls and rustic houses dotting the mountain ranges on either side of the Gastineau channel. Juneau, as the cruise's port and shopping ambassador would have you know is a one street town that came into being during the gold rush years. The only access into Juneau is by air or sea due to its geographical location. The highlights of this town were the Red Dog Saloon, a brothel now turned into a respectable pub, a city museum, Mt Roberts tram and of course, Mendenhall Glacier. Strangely, this is also Alaska's capital city and the gateway into the Tongass National forest.
We had signed up with Holland America for the Photo Safari by land and sea.We paid US$179pp for the 4-1/2hr tour. We were met at the end of the gangway by our guide Cameron or Cam for short. An affable gentleman, he entertained us with tidbits of information on life in Alaska, specifically, life in Juneau during the 30 minute bus ride to the pier. There, we were divided into 2 groups of 14 and boarded a smaller vessel that took us to the Juneau's channel islands and Stephan's Passage around Douglas Island for whale watching. The vessel had large glass panels that would be opened during the photo shoot session. We were kept dry and warm when not shooting. As we sped towards the first whale watching site, Cam briefed us on the how-tos for that perfect humpback whale picture. He gave us practical tips on how to set our cameras and interesting information on humpback whales and its habits as well as safety aboard.
Our first glimpse of the humpback whale was during our approach, it was slapping its tail above sea and I could hear the splash even from a distance. However, no one was able to capture that and the whale disappeared when we arrived. Not to be daunted, we changed location and arrived amidst a pod of about 4-6 whales. It was magnificent observing them and exciting as we try to capture them as they emerged from under the sea. The next location was a buoy that was a favorite hang out for sea lions. We circled around them with Cam shouting out instructions on how to take the best shots, it was hard to concentrate on his instructions as the sea lions were simply too cute.
Back on shore, we stopped to admire the bald eagles along the shoreline before boarding the bus again to Mendenhall Glacier. By now, the weather had became overcast with light rain gently blessing us as we hike through theTrail of time towards the Mendenhall Glacier. This was an easy trail with clear markings stating when the glacier had retreated. During the hike, Cam also pointed out interesting flora and fauna, including bear markings. By the time we reached the Mendenhall glacier half an hour later, the glacier was surrounded by fog. It was also getting darker and pouring such that photo-taking was not impossible. After a quick look around, we boarded the bus cold and disappointed. Cam consoled us by showing us some of his pictures taken during previous trips on a laptop, as we sighed over the beauty of the pictures, he distributed a cd containing pictures we were shown and photography tips.
This shore excursion was my favourite among all during our Alaskan adventure, not least because Cam was attentive to all and gave really practical photography tips including how to protect your camera in wet weather. This trip is suitable for all beginners or those interested in photography. Even though we did not spot any brown bears, we were content and tired by the end of the trip.
Back to the port, we strolled along Franklin street to take in more of the local sights and to check out the souvenir shops. The advantage of being on board one of the last cruises to Alaska was that we were in time for the stores' clearance sale as they prepared to close down for the winter. Back aboard after sanitizing our hands at the entrance of the gangway, we headed for Lido restaurant (our fave place to be) for the gold rush dinner before settling in for the night. An elephant was waiting patiently for us on my bed.
My log:
No of wildlife spotted: 3 (Humpback whales, bald eagles and Sea lions)
No of meals consumed: 3