Ockey Family Adventures: Alaska Day 5: Ketchikan

Ketchikan was our favorite city on this trip. The cruise ship docks right downtown, which puts everything within walking distance. We had to get up and grab breakfast early, though, because our shore excursion started at 7:30. They took us on a bus through town, describing the sights and major points in Ketchikan. This drive lasted about 20 minutes and ended up outside of town in a little cove. From there, we walked down to the harbor and donned life jackets. We were going on a kayak ride.

Ketchikan was our favorite stop.

It was a lovely city built up above the water.

It was such a beautiful morning when we were there, too.

Getting ready to go on the kayak.

Seth quickly partnered up with Dad. Mom grabbed Dax. Mark was on his own. These kayaks were a little fancier than ours, and you sat down inside the cockpit and ran a rudder with your feet, but they worked essentially the same. We didn’t have any trouble with the driving or paddling, and we did get to see some wildlife.

Seth liked riding in the front of Dad's kayak.

Mark was brave to go alone!

This kayaking trip was amazing!

You can see how clear the day was.

We kayaked by the rocks to look for starfish.

Dad loved this adventure!

First, we oared out to Eagle Island. There was a massive eagle nest with a nesting pair perched nearby. Later, we saw the juvenile they’d recently forced out of the nest. He was chasing and darting about with two kingfishers. We also spotted a shy harbor seal, which mostly tried to avoid us. There were sea lions, too, but they were anything but quiet. Instead, they pushed and bullied one another through the glassy water. Dax and Mom also saw a harbor seal hiding near the rocks. The water was perfect! It was so calm, and the sun shone down on a day rarely seen in southeast Alaska. It couldn’t have been more beautiful.

We saw a bunch of jellyfish. And Dax and Mark even touched them.

We loved this outing. It was the best thing we chose to do!

Silly Picture Time!

Mark was getting tired by the end, but he made it back.

We paddled around two islands for a distance of nearly two miles. We were really loving the calm water and the warm weather! Then, our guide said, “That looked like a whale, but it was probably a sea lion.” Suddenly, the water started to roil about 80 yards from us. Bubbles rose to the surface. Then tiny fish began to jump out of the boiling water. A massive humpback burst through the surface with its mouth wide open! The whales were bubble netting, which is where they surround the fish with bubbles and force them to the surface and then chase them up for a mouthful. It was spectacular! We watched these whales do this, three times, flipping their flukes in farewell after finishing the fish at the surface. They crested several times in between before deep diving and starting again. We were mesmerized! It was so beautiful. Mom only cried a little because she didn't bring her big camera out onto the water with her.

Watching the whales feed like this was amazing!

Truly a once in a lifetime experience.

After a bus ride back to Ketchikan, we decided to walk around town. There is a pretty little walk along the boardwalks that run parallel to the river. We could see the last remains of the previous salmon run, with just a few fish slowly dying in the river after their spawning. Mostly, we enjoyed how beautiful this little town really is. We really enjoyed this walk, and the sunshine certainly helped.

Ketchikan definitely won over our hearts.

Creek Street was fun.

Lots of salmon working their way up the stream.

This was our favorite part of southeast Alaska.

We had such a wonderful day!

As we made our way down to the boat dock, we stopped to do some shopping. We got soda and treats for the boys (and Dad). Then we picked up some puzzles and t-shirts at one of the tourist shops. We had to be back on the boat by noon, but we’d already had an amazing day!

Back on the ship, we grabbed some food and headed to the pool. The kids played together for several hours while Mark discovered adventures on a Peloton bike. Then we had time for a movie and a nap back in the cabin. We ended the day hanging out with everyone in the teen room!