Ketchikan, AK
The voyage from Juneau to Ketchikan was both beautiful and peaceful, with light enough for photos well into the night. The 3rd photo in this series was taken close to 1 am, sunset not starting until after 11 pm.
Between Juneau and Ketchikan
A Nighttime Photo-Walk
Michael, a fellow hobbyist photographer, and Nikon shooter, who I met on this cruise.
Ketchikan
Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Eagles & Totems
Our excursion in Ketchikan was both exciting and frustrating. It was exciting because we actually came within yards of a black bear, and frustrating because one, I could have spent hours exploring the rainforest, and two, because of all the days to leave the 200-500mm lens behind in the cabin, this was the wrong one!
We had a great guide for our excursion. She was very knowledgeable about the local vegetation and wildlife, and did a great job of keeping everyone calm, together, and safe when we unexpectedly came in close contact with a couple of black bears.
As we exited the forest to walk across a boardwalk connecting us to the bird sanctuary, our guide pointed out the fresh bear markings seen on the tree trunk in the last photo above. Only a minute or two later, as our guide was explaining the importance of the estuary to the local wildlife, she spotted a male black bear on the ground below the boardwalk. We all stopped as our guide called the bear sighting in and waited for him to move on. It was at this point, I started kicking myself for leaving the 200-500mm lens behind, not thinking I needed it in the close quarters of the forest and bird sanctuary. In addition to the bear, three different bald eagles flew in and roosted just out of photographic reach of my 24-70mm. Thankfully, as seen in the first photo below, I was able to capture a juvenile bald eagle flying parallel to the male black bear providing a good snapshot and memory for our trip.
No sooner than we watched the male black bear cross under the boardwalk and run off into the trees nearby, we spotted a female black bear and had to stop a second time. According to our guide, she was familiar with this bear and her cubs, and cautioned the group to stay close together. Apparently, black bears are some of the smallest and most skittish bears in the region. So, while they are more likely to run away from large groups of people than say a brown bear, they are also the best climbers, and if angered, the female bear could easily cover the distance between her and us in only a few seconds.
Preparing us to move quickly past the female, our guide instructed everyone to stay together noting that while there had never been a reported black bear attack of a group larger than three people, she did have her cubs nearby and therefore we should move quickly as a group. The last shot above was taken before I passed her. As I passed, she looked up directly at me and I could clearly see her eyes and the glint of sun light reflecting off the moisture in her nostrils, that is how close we were. I wanted, with all my being, to stop and take a photo but as I raised by camera, the guide yelled out for everyone to stay together and keep moving. So, instead of getting the photo, I heeded the guide’s warning, but the image of the bears face will forever be engraved in my memory.
Bird Sanctuary
Each of the birds below has a story, unfortunately, for all of them the result is the same, these cannot be released back into the wild. For the Great Horned Owl, I do not remember his story, for the Snowy Owl, it has a broken wing that will never heal correctly to be able to fly, and for the Bald Eagle, it was hit a car. The Red-Tailed Hawk, however, has perhaps the saddest, but most interesting story.
The story, according to our guide at the sanctuary, goes something like this,
A boy found the hawk when it was very young and hide it in his closet, keeping it locked up and secretly feeding it hotdogs for about 4 months without the boy’s parents noticing. Once the parents discovered the hawk, they reported it to the sanctuary, who, after working to restore its health, tested it for readiness to return to the wild. The test was a simple one, they put the hawk in a open room and let a mouse loose to see what the hawk would do. The expectation, of course, was that the hawk would see it’s prey and capture it. The reality was something different. The hawk screeched in fear and flew in the opposite direction.
There is nothing physically wrong with the hawk, but because of his captivity, he will never be able to survive on his own in the wild.
Totems
The final part of our excursion was a quick walk through an area where totems were being carved. The young man in the photo below is an apprentice to the master carver, who we did not see. From the information that was shared with us, I did learn that these totems are not religious in nature and are simply used to commemorate special events or stories. What story this totem was supposed to tell, he did not say.
Walking around Ketchikan
After our excursion was over, and we were on a shuttle headed back to the ship, several people requested that we be dropped off in Ketchikan, and the driver obliged. Apparently, we just had to ask. As you can see in the photo below, we were not the only cruise ship in port. The ship in the photo is easily double the size of ours, if not more. With so many tourists in town, the line for the Alaska Fish House was constantly as long or longer than what you see below. Given the length of the line, the price of the food, and that there was plenty of free food back on the ship, we opted for the smaller and less expensive Ketchikan Crab & Co adjacent to Fish House.
After a quick meal of fish and chips that were good and reasonably priced, we headed to the popular Creek Street, where, being close to the end of our trip, we finally gave in and bought some touristy items. Here, as in other tourist spots in Alaska, a historic brothel offering tours was the popular draw for men and women alike.
Our bus driver for the ride back to the ship was probably our favorite of the entire cruise. He said he was licensed to drive almost anything, and after the tourist season in Alaska, he was headed to Antartica to drive some equipment there for a science expedition. You could tell that he was very comfortable with his job, and he easily entertained everyone on the bus with a game of “Name that movie.” He had a play list of music from various movie genres, and everyone competed to be the first to name the movie the song was from. My wife surprised me, and the bus driver, by being the first to name almost half of them.
We enjoyed our excursion in Ketchikan, and a runin with two black bears certainly made it memorable. However, if I were to do it again, I would really love to take the Misty Fjords excursion, a 6-hour excursion that NCL describes as follows:
Cruise on the Wilderness Explorer expedition vessel through Misty Fjords, a waterway that ancient glaciers carved out of the rugged landscape, leaving behind a natural wonderland of sheer vertical cliffs, roaring waterfalls and endless beauty. To reach the fjords, you will pass through Revillagigedo Channel and proceed into the Behm Canal, a waterway where orcas, seals and porpoises are often spotted. Occasional stops will be made along the way to view an active bald eagle’s nest, a pictograph that the Tlingits etched into a stone cliff and New Eddystone Rock, an immense volcanic spire that rises above the sea.
Now that I know what motion sickness medicine to take, the long boat ride is no longer a concern, and I would take this trip in a heartbeat!
If you would like to see my other posts related to our Alaskan cruise, see Cruising Alaska with Norwegian Cruise Line.
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