Whales!

“Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.” – Socrates

It was a rainy and cold morning in Sitka, Alaska last July. We had just disembarked our cruise ship. We looked around to see where we went for our shore excursion. After that we rook a quick restroom and shopping break. We headed over to where we depart at, handed our tickets to the crew. We were excited because we knew where we were going, and what we were hoping to see. We were filled with excitement as we boarded the metal boat. It was brand new, and had only been on a few trips so far this year. We found our seats, and double checked to make sure my camera was ready. I double checked the batteries. I made sure I had the right lens for this adventure today. I was ready. I had my camera strapped on because I knew at any moment we were going to encounter something amazing.

Taking a boat cruise through the Sitka Sound was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. We saw so much wildlife on our short voyage. We saw group of sea otters rafting. Rafting is when the sea otters hold hands to float on the water. They do this to rest, and to scare off predators. We saw bald eagles and sea gulls soaring. The most amazing sight of all was when we saw a humpback whale breaching the water. Whales breach for the most basic of reasons, they need air. They can hold their breath for 20 minutes or more if they need to. Humpback whales come to the Sitka Sound every year to feed during the summer. We didn’t see one jump out of the water. We were still able to witness it coming up for air. These were not my best photos, but I think they showcase how amazing this moment was for us.