Wildlife
Two humpback Whales
On one of our Alaska cruises trips last season, we came across a large group of humpback whales. There were maybe around 30 or so. I don’t know what they were up to, but they seemed to be busy at the surface. The main group was maybe a 1/2 mile from where we were watching them when these two surfaced in front of us on their way to join the others.
Sealions – The Grizzly of the Sea
Southeast Alaska is home to the Steller’s sea lion and these amazing animals are one of the most common marine mammals that we get to see aboard the David B. There are several haulouts in our cruising area and it’s a real experience to get to watch, hear, and smell a crowded haulout. One interesting tidbit about these sea lions is that their skulls are virtually indistinguishable from the skulls of grizzly, or coastal brown bears, as they are known in southeast Alaska. We once had a deckhand who liked to describe Steller’s sea lions as a grizzly stuffed into a tube.
Humpback Whale Diving
Sometimes we will be sitting in an open area watching whales when one will surface and swim towards us. There are so many beautiful sounds: the whales’s breath, the sound of water cascading off its body, and the laughter and joy from our passengers.
Taken on one of Marine Ecology of Southeast Alaska trips.
Black bear in Fords Terror
While we were at anchor in Fords Terror we got to watch this female black bear who had a couple of cubs. They ate grass and barnacles and crawled over rocks. While we were anchored in this spot we also got to watch two other bears on the opposite shore.
Hummingbirds in Alaska
We started keeping a hummingbird feeder on the David B a few summers ago. We often had hungry birds coming to the boat and checking out all the red things on deck. One time a tired one arrived that was too weak to fly up to the feeder. We set the feeder on a chair next to the bird. It regained its strength and a few minutes later it buzzed off. We love these small visitors and appreciate the way they help us connect with nature and care for the world around us.
For more information visit any of our Alaska itinerary pages like this one for our Juneau to Petersburg 8-day tour.