When we were making a port stop at Juneau, Alaska, we decided to go on a guided tour to go whale watching and view Mendenhall Glacier. Our travel agent was able to book us on 3 excursions for a good rate. We went with Dolphin Jet Boat Tours to enjoy the next few hours as they show us the beauty of Juneau.
Meeting
We left downtown Juneau from the tram area on a bus driven by a local tour guide on a scenic drive through Juneau out to Auke Bay for the jet boats. The ride is around 30 minutes long.
Whale Watching Adventure
Our captain and naturalist led the way on a search for whales in Favorite Channel, Stephens Passage, Lynn Canal and Saginaw Channel.
They have binoculars so you can better see the humpbacks, killer whales, Dall’s porpoise, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, bald eagles, and towering mountains. Most people ended up looking with their bare eyes or through their cameras.
With the growing abundance of whales in the area and their ease with the small boats, you are bound to see many.
The easiest way to spot wales is when they take a breath and spray water up in the air. We saw a handful of wales, and a ton of seals and sea lions.
The captain takes the time to help you get the best shots, he was able to get up close and personal with the wildlife within safe boundaries.
Included in the price of the tour are onboard refreshments including Coke products, bottled water, coffee and hot chocolate, and a small snack of locally-caught Alaskan salmon spread on a bagel.
The bagel was super hard and not enjoyable.
Mendenhall Glacier
Right after the whale watching, we were given another ride to the Mendenhall Glaciers, which is 1 of 38 glaciers flowing from the massive 1,500-square-mile ice field.
Besides seeing the glacier, you can either go to the Nugget Creek Falls or Photo Point Trail. We barely had enough time to complete the Nugget Creek Falls, so we ended up just going to Photo Point Trail and taking a lot of photos to make it back to the bus on time.
The whole area is beautiful and it’s worth a visit here. There’s wildlife around the area, so we had to be careful because there was a group of bears roaming around.
With the gradually rising temperatures, the glacier is receding, so it isn’t as lush and glorious as before.
Final Thoughts
Juneau is beautiful when you explore outside of their small downtown area. You’ll definitely want to spend some time catching the views. It’s so much better than staying in the city.
