ALASKA

HOLY GUACOMOLE, BATMAN! Tom, Kale and I just got back from Alaska. How immense and incredible this place is! We were so lucky to see everything we did while we were on our cruise in Southeast Alaska. We boarded the 34-passenger National Geographic/ Lindblad cruiser in Sitka and disembarked in Juneau. For one whole week we traveled the coast of Alaska by boat sighting some really spectacular wild life and some incredible geography. On the list are- Orca whales, humpback whales, dolphins, Sea Lions, Otters, Puffins, a Brown Bear (swimming!,) bald eagles, lots of banana slugs, glaciers, rain forests, mountains, waterfalls, and ocean. One of the most amazing things I will remember always was a group of humpback whales we spotted bubble-netting. For those of you who don’t know (and I surely didn’t before this trip,) bubble netting is when a group of 5 or 6 non-related whales form a group using the specific skills of each whale to maximize their feeding. This group works collaboratively underwater; starting with the flash of fins to blind the fish, a call that will herd the fish, and a ring of bubbles to trap the fish, thereby creating an immensely dense ‘net’ of fish- and the feeding begins. The whales swim below the bubble net and close together in a tight ring with their mouths gaping wide open they will rise to the surface collecting the dense pool of fish. Amazing! Whales are the only other known mammal, besides us, who form long lasting non-related bonds. Incredible!!! They will use each other’s talents to maximize their feasting in Alaska when the fish are in peak, however, once the feeding season is finished they will part paths and travel independently back to warmer waters for the winter, not to be seen until the following summer when these same whales will reunite in Alaska. They will do this year after year. The only thing that might top the bubble-netting whales was how wonderful it was to see the family again and what a superstar traveler Kale is! GREAT TRIP!