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My Portrait Photography
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Wednesday – Ketchikan

10:00 AM thru 6:00 PM

Daily Program

Port Information

Slept In

Arrival in port was a little later today, so the family too the opportunity to sleep in.  I got up early to take in the sights and start planning the day.

We had a nice quite breakfast in the Rotterdam Dining room as we had come to like the leisurely pace when we had no early morning plans.

Kayaking

Once again we booked our tours ourselves.  We went with Southeast Sea Kayaks.    We chose the "Pennock Paddling - 2.5 Hours" tour as we wanted to keep it short.  Our girls really wanted to Kayak and it did sound like fun.  This par of the description sounded especially good, "Seals follow the dip of our paddles and brilliantly colored starfish are clearly visible beneath the kayaks in the crystal clear water. Kingfishers and Great Blue Herons feed along the shore and Raven is ever present."  Additional mention was made of possibly seeing Eagles and even Orcas.

We were met at the dock as we left the ship by one of our guides.  She escorted us the short walk to their facility where we were briefed about the tour.  We were able to leave any items behind that we would not need and provided a waterproof bag for our cameras.

Down to the dock and we were instructed on how to paddle and steer the kayak.  It sounded very easy.  We ended up using a 3-person and 2-person kayak.  My wife and eldest daughter did great.  I had my youngest and grandma.  Unfortunately they were not able to properly paddle, which made it difficult and tiring for me to move the three of us around.

Nature was not on our side for this trip.  We did see the eagle's nest, but the eagle was not around.  The other birds were not around either.  Seals were a no show also.  They did show us a starfish, and we did paddle through an area where they were visible under water.  We had not expected Orcas so we were not surprised that this rare occurrence did not grace this trip.

I also found it very difficult to take any pictures.  The camera was kept inside the kayak to keep dry and it would take a bit to get it out and put it back.  The girls did have a great time, but I was happy we did not do a longer tour as my arms would have fallen off.  

I would still recommend this tour to experience kayaking, just understand that the primary experience is kayaking and wildlife is secondary and beyond the control of the tour.

Wilderness Safari

We chose to use Misty Fjords Air to see some bears via plane.  We took the "Wilderness Safari by Seaplane tour".  The description that sold us was: "Experience our exclusive guided excursion that takes you to a remote wilderness setting by seaplane. Prince of Wales Island, or "P.O.W." offers the highest concentration of Alaskan Black bear in the United States. You will have the opportunity to view Black bear in their natural habitat. Enroute to the South Prince of Wales wilderness area, we will observe Gray, Humpback and/or Orca whales. The coastline that our flight follows is also home to Stellar sea lions, Harbor seals and Sea otters. Bald eagles are in abundance in Southeast Alaska which holds the largest population in the world."

We gave them a quick call to let them know we were ready and they picked us up right at Southeast Sea Kayaks.  There were several floatplanes docked where we were, but there dock was a short drive away.  They were ready to go when we got there and we boarded the plane immediately.

I was amazed at how fast these planes become airborne once they start moving.  The take-off was very smooth.  The flight was a little bumpy here and there, but our pilot, David, told us when it would smooth out.  The scenery was just amazing.  As we flow towards Prince of Whales Island David would tell us about the area we were flying above.  The headsets we were wearing used noise cancellation technology to block the engine noise and still lets us talk to one another.   The trick to touch the microphone to your lips for it to work.

We looked and looked for bears, but they were hiding someplace that we could not find.  We did manage to see seals and sea lions.  David made two passes by each of the areas to make sure that both sides of the plane got a good view.  Even though we were flying fairly low, it was hard to get a very detailed picture.

We flew around to their lodge and landed.   The lodge is actually floating in the park so it can be moved as need.  It looked like it could be a fun place to stay.  We had a seafood chowder snack and it was time to leave.  As we headed out to the plane we saw the school of squid that had taken up residence under the lodge.

From the lodge we flew back towards town.  Along the way we did see a humpback whale give us a couple of tail slaps.  As we reached town again we did see the Ryndam waiting for us at the dock.

Once again the tour was fun, but nature cannot be controlled.  I would not take this tour again to see bears, as even when you do see them it will be at a very large distance.  Some of the other bear excursions would allow for better photos.  Now if you want to see some beautiful scenery and various wildlife from a distance, this is nice tour.

The line to get back on board was a little long, but really took only about 5 or 6 minutes.  It was getting longer behind us though.

Back on Board

I did manage to get my eagle picture as this one decided to make several passes just outside our verandah.  We did see lots of other eagles during our cruise, but most were just sitting on the ground and not really a good photo.

Tonight was our second formal night and the menu was probably my least favorite when I read it.

Menus: Dinner Dessert

I could not find an appetizer that I liked.  I started with the Kickin' Crab Chowder and Caesar Salad.  For my entrees I had the Pork Medallions and the Oriental Style Rotisserie Duck.  The crab chowder exceeded my expectations and was excellent.  The pork was good, but not as good as the pork chop I had on another night.  The duck was good and not too greasy.

Tonight was the traditional Baked Alaska that is so common on cruises.  I still get into the spirit and enjoy the parades.  The kids in the room all loved it.

While our waiter pretty much forced every one to try the Baked Alaska, we headed to the ice cream bar as usual before we went to the show.

The show tonight was "Dancin' Fool" and was a collection dances and music from various eras.  There was something for everyone in this show.  My oldest daughter really enjoyed this show, and we found it entertaining.

Before I turned in I did notice a "Ghost Ship" following us to our next destination.

I think we were all excursioned out, and a day at sea cruising the Inside Passage is just what we need.

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My Portrait Photography
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