Juneau

 

Today we went whale watching. We watched one group of humpback whales including a baby playing on the surface for 30 minutes (the maximum time allowed) and then went searching again. We found another whale spouting about a mile away. They typically spout 3 to 4 times and then dive deep for food with their tail rising in the air. Later the whale approached our boat. Humpbacks come to Alaska each summer because the cold water and abundant sunlight lead to lots of plankton, which starts a rich food chain. The whales feed here and then head to Hawaii to mate and raise their young.

St. Nicholas 

In the afternoon, I took a quick walking tour of Juneau. First was St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1894. The local Tlingit leaders invited the church to this area of Alaska, long after it was part of the U.S. Then I visited the state capital, housed in an office building with marble columns in front. It had several historic pictures including the 1958 newspaper when congress passed legislation making Alaska a state on January 2^nd, 1959. Since then, there have been numerous attempts to move the capital out of Juneau, since the city is isolated from the Alaska population. You can’t drive to Juneau, you must take either a boat or an airplane.

Ferry leaving Juneau