Our first stop was in Juneau, Alaska. We arrived at noon and stayed until 10:00 p.m. This was one of our favorite stops and excursions. 
Beautiful view from the boat...
As we were passing by several humpbacks, the captain came on the loudspeaker and said they had gotten word that there was a pod of Orca Whales (a.k.a. Killer Whales) spotted which is quite rare. It was the coolest thing we've ever seen! There were approximately a dozen Orcas. They turned off the boat and we were able to sit and watch them for about thirty minutes. The whales actually swam up to and under the boat. We could have reached out and touched them. It was truly breath taking. I think it was the highlight of our trip. They kept telling us how lucky we were to even see Orcas and to see them this close. They run 4 tours/day, 6 days/week and only see them maybe once every 3 weeks but never as close. 
This whale turned on it's back and swam under the boat...
It was magnificent!
Before getting back on the ship, we took a tram ride up the mountain and were able to hike around. The view was awesome!
The first thing we did was go on a whale watching tour. We got on a boat just like this and headed out to see some humpback whales. 
Beautiful view from the boat...
~View of the Mendenhall Glacier from the boat~
As we were passing by several humpbacks, the captain came on the loudspeaker and said they had gotten word that there was a pod of Orca Whales (a.k.a. Killer Whales) spotted which is quite rare. It was the coolest thing we've ever seen! There were approximately a dozen Orcas. They turned off the boat and we were able to sit and watch them for about thirty minutes. The whales actually swam up to and under the boat. We could have reached out and touched them. It was truly breath taking. I think it was the highlight of our trip. They kept telling us how lucky we were to even see Orcas and to see them this close. They run 4 tours/day, 6 days/week and only see them maybe once every 3 weeks but never as close. This whale turned on it's back and swam under the boat...
The whales wave farewell...
After watching the Orcas, we got to see a group of humpback whales group feeding. They said this is also very rare to see as humpbacks generally do not hang out or feed in groups.
We also saw a group of Sea Otters sun bathing...
After the boat ride, we went to the Mendenhall Glacier ...
It was magnificent!Before getting back on the ship, we took a tram ride up the mountain and were able to hike around. The view was awesome!
View of our ship from the top of the mountain...
This bald eagle had been shot and wounded so he was being kept in a small cage. It was interesting to see how large they are.
This day was our anniversary. When we got up that morning there were balloons outside our room wishing us a Happy Anniversary. It was a wonderful day and fabulous way to celebrate 15 years of marriage. There were two restaurants on the ship that you had to pay a cover charge of $25/person to eat at. You could eat as much as you wanted for the price. Since it was our anniversary, we went to the Crown Grill and had the best meal. I've never seen so much food! :) We both had lobster, steak, appetizers, and dessert (not to mention sides). Neither one of us ate breakfast the next day because we were so full!
2 comments:
I just happened across your blog. What a wonderful trip you had and the photos are exquisite! We also are LDS and share you views on family. Thanks for sharing!
I had no idea you went on a cruise and feel like I want to go there now. My neighbor is on a cruise starting today for 10 days I wonder if it ws the same cruise?? Congrats on 15 years.
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