Alaskan Cruise - Juneau Whale Watch

Whale Watching trips near Juneau, Alaska

Setting off for our first Alaskan whale watch.

Some of our fellow passengers.

Mendenhall glacier in the distance viewed from Auke Bay. It is about 5 or 6 miles away.

A humpback whale drifting alongside our boat.

One of the feeding strategies humpbacks use is "bubble feeding" shown in this and the next two pictures.

Bubble Net Fishing involves a group of whales that swims in an ever shrinking circle blowing bubbles below a school of fish. As the diameter of the "net" reduces they become trapped.

Having trapped the school of fish, whales "lunge" up the center of the "net" consuming enorrmous numbers of fish. Special grooves in the whale's mouth allow it to drain the water taken in with the fish.

This picture shows clearly how a humpback strains the water through its baleen capturing a huge quantity of fish from a "lunge". Credit National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Now for a few more pictures of humpbacks swimming around our boat.

Now for some Orcas or killer whales. We saw these and the humpbacks on different trips.

A sea star or, as it is incorrectly called, a starfish. This was returned to the water very quickly.

Heading back to board our cruise ship for the next port of call.

Setting off for our first Alaskan whale watch.

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