The greatest attraction comes from Mother Nature herself in the form of sea creatures who hide beneath the surface. Whales, orcas, sea lions, and fish are only a few of the many beautiful animals that call the waters of Juneau, Alaska home. This past weekend I got to experience aquatic marvels (and some on shore) with a whale watching and lighthouse tour from Alaska Galore & Juneau Lighthouse Tours.
Departing from Auka Bay, this 4 hour tour made my dreams of becoming a sailor (okay and a mermaid to some extent) come true. I was led into the boat by the attentive crew with shining personalities. Annie— the main guide of the tour—spouted fact after fact about the sea life under our boat. My favorite was about Flame. The famous whale, Flame, is a local celebrity, after birthing a calf in four consecutive years in Juneau. This is an uncommon occurrence in whales since their young stay with them for up to a year. Annie passed around a book of documented whales in Juneau which was absolutely fascinating. One that stood out to me was a whale named Pizza (because it had a marketing on its tail that looked like, well, a pizza slice!)
Merrily we sailed along the waters and saw marine life in abundance. Whales that flip their tails at us, orcas that zipped along the current, and porpoises that splashed along the boat to say “hello”! My giggles could not be contained as I snapped photos and waved at them.
Onto the lighthouse portion of the tour as we sailed through the Favorite Channel (the channel folks of yesteryear would use to go up to northern Alaska). Before we got to Sentinel Island to visit the Sentinel Lighthouse, we passed by lounging sea lions on a bogey as they barked and sunbathed. They too were enjoying the sublime weather.
Once we docked at the island we walked through the forest to a clearing. The lighthouse stood before us. Tall, magnificent, and dignified. I snapped photos and made my way up to the top. The view was unbelievable with the blue landscape from water to mountains to sky. This was the tour of a lifetime.
Book a visit with Alaska Galore & Juneau Lighthouse Tours to have your own taste of Alaska’s wild beauty.
