Ketchikan

The ship arrived on an overcast morning. I saw the shore sliding by out the window as I woke up and went out on the balcony. I immediately heard the distinctive sound of eagle chatter. A closer look at the shore with binoculars showed eagles. Lots of them. In trees near the shore. They were too far away to photograph, but cool. The ship eventually dropped anchor in the channel. We rode a tender to shore and were glad to walk around after a day and a half at sea. We wandered by the dump, where I barely had time to get the camera out to grab a few shots of this bear. The clouds had cleared by then.

Black Bear at the Ketchikan Dump

Later we walked along the stream in town, and along the waterfront. This eagle sat in this tree while people walked by below on the sidewalk.

Bald Eagle Watching Pedestrians in Ketchikan

Lots of airplane traffic buzzed by. There were seaplanes everywhere, constantly coming and going, presumably taking tourists on sightseeing flights.

de Havilland Beaver

de Havilland Beaver

While we were at sea, and again as we departed Ketchikan, whales were visible.

Well,relatively visible. The first sign is usually a cloud of water spray as the whale blows.

Humpback Whale Blows

Then a little of the back shows up, with the dorsal fin briefly visible.

Humpback Whale

 Then it disappears. If it's going on a deeper dive, the fluke will briefly appear.

Humpback Whale begins a Deep Dive

There were Dall porpoises everywhere. They look like miniature orcas. I tried but failed to get good photos. They're just too fast.

Dall Porpoise