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Exploring Alaska It was morning and we were in skiffs at Point Adolphus in Takatz Bay, known as a humpback whale feeding ground. All around us we saw spouts from whales. Bald eagles soared overhead. Sea lions played around our boat, and suddenly a group of dolphins appeared, then a humpback surfaced within 20 feet of our skiff. It was sensory overload … we didn’t know where to look.
We witnessed this spectacle while cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage onboard American Safari Cruises’ new ship Safari Explorer. At 145 ft. and 36 guests she is the largest in the American Safari fleet. Our journey began in Juneau where we arrived a day early to check out the town. We always like to arrive in our departure city a day ahead of time in case of travel delays. There are plenty of activities available in Juneau to keep busy for several days. To get an advance taste of whale-watching, check out Captain Larry at Orca Enterprises. He took us out in Stephens Passage where we were treated to the antics of a mother frolicking in the surf with her calf. Fishing is another option. King Salmon and halibut are abundant in these waters. We went out with Captain Ed and his daughter on their Lucky Dog , and caught a 25 lb. King (Chinook) Salmon in the first ½ hour! The limit in this area is 4 fish per person per day. We were able to have the fish processed and sent home to coincide with our return. We also took time after the cruise to do more in the area. We rode with Juneau Jeep Adventures for a tour of Juneau and a hike down to a rocky beach, then the jeep dropped us off at Alaska Zipline Tours for an exhilarating zipline rush through the rainforest canopy.
We also visited the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery and Alaska State Museum. There is also a tram up to the top of Mt. Roberts which has a great view if it’s not clouded in. Our night in Juneau before the cruise we stayed in a quaint Bohemian bed and breakfast called the Silverbow Inn. On our return we stayed at a more mainstream hotel, the Prospector. Both offer quality accommodations at a competitive price. If you are looking for dining options in town try the Zephyr for some excellent Mediterranean fare. Another good choice is Twisted Fish down by the docks. The day of embarkation to the ship passengers met early for a bus tour to the Mendenhall Glacier,
one of several we visited on this trip, and we boarded the ship in the late afternoon. At first glance from the outside, the ship looked quite average, but once we were onboard we saw what a $3,500,000 renovation had created. The ship throughout is paneled and trimmed in cherry wood.
The cabins are modest in size, but well appointed including a flat-screen TV. The common areas are deluxe. In the lounge you feel like you are in someone’s living room. There is a wine library in addition to the main sitting area and some super premium wines are available. The library has a nice selection of topical titles and a great video selection. The bridge is always open and has a small lounge area with a great view. Captain Shawnda Gallup was happy to show off her “office”.
This American Safari cruise is totally inclusive. All the water sports and shore excursions are complimentary as is all liquor and wine at dinner and cocktail hours. There is even a complimentary massage for each guest. The food and service are extraordinary. Each dinner offers a choice of seafood or “from the land”. Many passengers unable to decide request a sampling of each and are happily accommodated by the kitchen. There are 16 crew members and they all knew our first names and drink preferences within the first day. After our first dinner of Sockeye salmon or rib-eye with gorgonzola we are briefed by the expedition team on how the voyage will be operated and that when we are at anchor we can go out to explore in one of the two inflatable skiffs or one of the many single and double kayaks.
We are awakened early in the morning to the loudspeakers announcing “whales bubble net feeding off the bow”. This is a cooperative feeding behavior of Humpback whales seen in very few places. A group of whales working together dive under a school of herring, one whale swimming in a circle while blowing bubbles.
When the bubbles rise they form a net and scare the herring into a tight ball in the center. The whales then come up through the middle with their mouths open, capturing large amounts of food. Later when experiencing this behavior from the skiffs we lowered hydrophones and could clearly hear the whales communicating prior to their surfacing. We were treated to a ½ hour show of bubble net feeding and breaching behavior. The whales got so close to the ship that you could almost reach out and touch them. What a way to start our adventure! Later that morning we made our way to Glacier Bay National Park. Safari Explorer does all of it’s cruising in the day thus allowing us to see the scenery and also have calm nights inside a quiet anchorage. At Glacier Bay a park ranger joined us for our two day stay here. It is a privilege to get even one day at the park and our two days is very special. Park permits for ships are very limited and come with a lot of rules to be followed.
After lunch we had a brief orientation by our park ranger about bird life here, and shortly thereafter we slowly passed some rock outcroppings full of sea lions and teeming with bird life of every imaginable variety. In the afternoon we launched the skiffs and kayaks. A black bear was sighted, and later a small brown bear. As we were returning to the boat we saw a family of mountain goats up in the cliffs. Two bald eagles circled above us and one of them swooped down and grabbed a fish out of the water right in front of us. Beth brought some hot cider on the skiff for all of us and also a bottle of cognac if you wanted to fortify it. On our second day in Glacier Bay we ate a light breakfast before arriving at Margerie Glacier hoping to see some glacier calving, but only saw small activity. “Calving” is when a chunk of ice breaks off from the face of the glacier. Bear were spotted along the shore.
Our next stop was Lamplugh where we kayaked and hiked. The hike was more of a climb and I would only recommend it for people who are comfortable with rock climbing. At the end of the day some passengers were apparently still looking for adventure took a Polar bear plunge into the icy waters off the aft deck swim platform, then headed straight for the hot tub.
Tonight after dinner we dropped off our park ranger guest at Bartlett Cove where the National Park headquarters lodge is located and took a forest trail hike and visited the lodge. The following day was when we saw eagles, dolphins, sea lions and whales all at the same time from the skiffs. We have been extraordinarily fortunate with the weather. Night-time temperatures were down to 45 degrees Fahrenheit with days around 60-65. Although there were brief spurts of rain, the sun would come out just in time for our daily hike or spin in the kayaks. “Washing the air” here is normal 240 days of the year.
Tuesday provided more kayaking and whale breaching. We met up with another American Safari ship, the Safari Spirit, one of two 12-passenger ships along with a 22-passenger and our ship that make-up the American Safari Cruises fleet. The ships all visit Alaska in the summer and go south to the Sea of Cortes in the winter. The Safari Explorer will go to Hawaii in the winter as the only small ship operating in Hawaiian waters. The fleet also offers cruises on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest. On Wednesday we docked at the small fishing town of Petersburg, the only town we saw other than Juneau on this trip. We took advantage of the public library to check our e-mail. Not having internet access onboard is a decision by the management to not interfere with the wilderness experience. We returned to the ship for a buffet of barbeque ribs and a white King salmon. In the afternoon we hiked a boardwalk trail along a bubbling brook. It had been a little rainy in the morning but the sun came out for our hike and produced a rainbow silhouetted against a backdrop of snowy mountain peaks.
The next day was our last day. We spent the morning at Dawes Glacier watching it calve. Two kayak rangers came aboard for lunch and a lecture.
The rangers spend up to two weeks at a time in the wilderness camping and kayaking throughout the Inside Passage. That night a farewell dinner featured filet mignon and King Crab legs, and Bananas foster that was prepared in the dining room. We were treated to a DVD slideshow of our trip, a copy of which was placed in our cabins. Four youngsters we had on board performed a musical tribute to the crew that they had written. The guests aboard the Safari Explorer were primarily working or retired professionals who enjoy an active lifestyle. The DVD we have been given includes the e-mail addresses of guests and crew. On a ship this small you begin to feel a bond with your fellow passengers and crew and this gives a way for us to share photos and stay in touch after the cruise. If you are looking for adventure without sacrificing luxury then American Safari Cruises is for you. You can cruise with them in Alaska from May through September.
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By Scott Linde
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