Day 40

July 8, 2017

Up really early so we could leave for the ferry terminal by 7:45 AM for our trip to Juneau today.  We rode the mile with the other Unity couple. As as we arrived they realized they did not have their name tags, necessary to board the vessel.  So they let us out and returned to the campground.  No hurry as the catamaran did not arrive from Skagway until 8:45 but we all got aboard and began the journey down the Lynn Canal, the continent’s longest and deepest glacial fjord. 

 This is an eagle eating his fresh caught fish.  We saw him grab to fish then land on the shore.

Our first stop was at a Stellar Sea Lion rookery where hundreds of animals were safe from the bears and could raise their month old pups.  They are funny to watch.

Several bald eagles were visible along the way.

A vintage wooden sail boat was anchored in one of the coves.

Upon arrival at the dock at Yankee Cove we boarded a motor coach for the ride through the coastal rain forest to downtown Juneau.  Juneau was busy as there were three cruise ships in port, Carnival, Regency Seven Seas and Princess.  The bus drop off was right next to the Marine Park where float planes were coming and going also.

We walked to Saffron Indian restaurant for our lunch that we greatly enjoyed.  Sure puts a breath on you!  Then we met up with Paul and Susan and had a walk around the downtown area.  One interesting sight was the parked motorcycle with a guard.

We ended up back at the Marine Park and at 3 PM we left for the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center.  There we watched the film about the history of the glacier and had a good dose of propaganda about “climate change” which began 3,000 years ago, but was caused by man.

As we sat on the bench awaiting the bus a bald eagle took up residence in one of the nearby trees.

The bus took us back to our vessel and we made our return to Haines but enroute we saw some fantastic sights.    One was a channel marker that had a bald eagle on top with sea lions on the lower platform.

Then the real fun began when a pod of humpback whales were feeding.  Our guide thought that their were probably at least ten big ones.  The whales round up a school of fish and then from below they “lunge” up into the fish with mouths open.  When they all break up through the water at once, the excitement is uncontrolable.  The birds enjoy the debris left from the near misses.  They did this maneuver several times while we sat dead in the water.  The birds show where the next lunge will take place as they circle just where they see the fish being rounded up.  Exciting!

We viewed more sea lions, a lighthouse built in 1903 but automated in the 1970’s and more glaciers.

Arriving back in Haines we got back to our Unity and as we had been served smoked salmon chowder on board the boat, we were ready for bed by 9 PM.