Totems, Whales & Bears
I was staying on the beautiful Seabourn Quest, Seabourn are one of the top end cruise lines and I'd hand selected this ship given her small size (only 458 passengers) which allowed us to stop at ports of call the larger ships can't dock at and of course the quality of service. The Seabourn Quest has just 229 beautiful suites and is the epitome of understated luxury and with The Restaurant, The Colonnade, Solis and The Patio/Earth & Ocean offering fabulous dining options plus Sushi at The Club and an extensive 24/7 In Room Dining Menu you’ll be spoilt for choice. For relaxation there were multiple Swimming Pools & Whirlpools, the Spa & Wellness area and one of the best cruise ship equipped Fitness Centres I’ve seen, plus golf nets and putting green, table tennis, shuffleboard and even a casino, card & games room! Entertainment was low key but enjoyable with a mix of itinerary related lectures from guest speakers, quiz nights, a show each evening plus live music from quartets to a club band. On a more practical level there were also Conference Rooms and a self serve laundrette that I took full advantage of.
I embarked the ship in Vancouver and Day 1 was all about getting familiar with the ship and enjoying a sea day heading through the Charlotte Sound and north up the coast.
For Day 2 we docked at Ketchikan and I booked an excursion that encompassed a quick visit to the surrounding area of Ketchikan to visit the waterfall, Herring Bay and the Saxman Village Totem Park which was founded by the Tlingits in the late 1800’s and was actually named after Samuel Saxman, a Presbyterian teacher who got lost at sea searching for a new village site. The village features 25 totems, which are authentic replicas of totems that were left in an abandoned villages as Native Alaskans moved into towns. Totems were symbols of cultural and economic wealth telling stories passed through the generations. I then enjoyed a few hours free time in Ketchikan itself, and what a fabulous port of call and one I’d definitely include on any Alaska itinerary. It's a really picturesque and culturally rich town and know as the "Salmon Capital of the World" in addition to having more totem poles than anywhere else on earth, so this small 14,000 person town packs a big punch.
Day 3 we took a quick tender to get over to Sitka. Once called the “Paris of the Pacific”, Sitka offers a full array of natural beauty and cultural richness. The town was built around Russian fur traders and the local Tlingit people. Set between steep forested mountains and the fjord of the Sitka Sound. Sitka is Alaska’s fifth largest city with a population around 9,300. You can still see the Russian influence with the onion domed cathedral and Tlingit heritage within America’s smallest national park the hugs the coast and has trails that meander through towering spruces and is bursting with hand carved totem poles.
The next stop was on Day 4 and the jaw dropping Hubbard Glacier, one of Alaska’s most magnificent natural wonders! The glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in the North America and stretches over 76 miles long, 7 miles wide and goes 250 feet below water! We hopped onboard a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) and managed to see a various wildlife including a colony of sea lions and also a couple of the infamous calving events where chunks of ice break off and crash into the water. The glacier flows from the Malaspina Icefield which is the largest piedmont glacier in the world!
Day 5 continued with it's amazement with a true bucket list adventure as we boarded a smaller boat at Icy Strait Point and headed off on a mammal searching expedition and I finally got to spend some real quality time with a pod of humpback whales in their natural habitat. These majestic mammals were just stunning and gave a fantastic display of fin slapping, spouting, breaching (jumps out of the water) and fluking (deep diving and raising its tail).
For Day 6 we pulled into the great little town of Haines, known as the “Gateway to the Klondike”. Perched on the edge of the Lynn Canal, one of the longest and deepest fjords in North America. This area is A haven for outdoor enthusiasts, the scenery is stunning. Today we explored the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. The preserve is not accessible by road and as such has abundant wildlife. We sailed in a flat bottom boat due to the river being only a couple of feet deep in places. What an incredible time spent observing a brown bear mother and her three cubs! We also saw plenty of bird life including multiple Bald Eagles which is one of America’s largest birds of prey, is its national bird and can have a wingspan of up to 8ft! We also fleetingly saw a moose in the woods but wasn’t quick enough to photograph it. It was an another amazing day and created memories for a lifetime.
Day 7 and the end of our cruise we pulled into Juneau. Alaska’s capital is inaccessible by road as it’s surrounded by steep mountains and dense rainforest. Originally founded as a gold mining camp by Joe Juneau and Richard Harris in 1880, it became the capital in 1906. The second largest city in Alaska (by area) it has a small, frontier charm about it and vibrant arts community. I only had a few hours to spare as I was flying out that day so I explored the downtown area which had a good mix of boutique art shops and galleries, the Alaska State Capitol building plus the Alaskan Brewing Company and spent some time watching all the sea planes and helicopters whizzing around. If you had more time and could travel further afield then key highlights and well worth a visit would be the Mendenhall Glacier, the Macauley Salmon Hatchery or you could take one of the multiple hiking trails including the Mount Roberts Alpine Loop.
Alaska blew me away, if you love culture, stunning scenery and wildlife this would take some beating!
