North to Alaska

Marty and I recently returned from a trip to Alaska. It was our first time going there and it was also the first time either of us took a cruise. After carefully looking over the various cruise options, we decided on Viking – not only for the variety of travel and shore excursion options available, but also for the overall quality of reader reviews. And I am so happy we did, because we had an incredible time.

Here’s where we went:

I didn’t want to bore you with a lot of travel chatter, so instead, I decided to simply show you why the trip was so awesome (please forgive the quality of some of the photos/videos).

Now, here is a video of what made the trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me: Humpback Whales…And not just one humpback whale, but AN ENTIRE POD of humpback whales.

In Ketchikan, Marty and I were the last to board a small catamaran for a wildlife viewing excursion. I was on the wharf looking out over the inlet and I noticed an odd-looking circle on the surface approximately 100 feet away. I was watching for about 30 seconds, trying to figure out what the heck I was looking at, when AN ENTIRE POD OF HUMPBACK WHALES breached out of the water at the perimeter of the circle, mouths open wide, as they fed on a gigantic school of herring that was also being hurled out of the water. This feeding frenzy went on for about 10-15 seconds, then ended as abruptly as it started.

It was crazy beautiful. But being a biologist and a nature lover, I had to find out more about what I just witnessed. Thanks to Google, other online sources (thank you remote technology), and Regina, (an awesome wildlife biologist who was also our very knowledgeable guide on a wildlife cruise we took through Allen Marine Tours in Juneau), I learned that what I saw is a phenomenon called “Bubble-Net Feeding” and it is a behavior unique to humpback whales.

What is bubble-net feeding?

Humpback whales eat massive amounts of food through bubble-net feeding, consuming up to 2,500 to 5,500 pounds (1.1 to 2.5 tons) of fish and krill per day during the feeding season. They can achieve this by working in groups, using “bubble nets” to concentrate their prey, allowing them to take fewer, larger gulps of water and food.

How bubble-net feeding works:

Coordinated Circling:

A group of humpback whales swims in a shrinking circle, exhaling bubbles to form a “net” around a school of small fish or krill.

Prey Concentration:

The bubbles create a barrier, keeping the prey confined in a smaller space and increasing its density.

Teamwork and Calls:

Other whales in the group may vocalize to further corral the prey and signal feeding time.

The Big Gulp:

At the right moment, the group of whales will all surge upwards, lunging toward the surface to gulp the concentrated mass of food and water.

Filter Feeding:

Humpbacks then use their baleen plates to filter the fish and krill from the water, then spit out the water.

It was one of the most incredible sights of nature I have ever seen.

Because it happened so quickly and spontaneously, I was unable to get any images. But thankfully, the great short video I posted from National Geographic is exactly what it looked like.

Finally, before you go, take a few minutes to watch the video I uploaded from Viking which talks more about their Alaska cruise trip option, and the link to Allen Marine Wildlife Tours in Juneau: https://allenmarinetours.com/juneau/

(I received no payment for promoting either of these – just wanted to give a shout-out because they both are awesome).

Have a great week. Be Joyous. Stay Safe.

Pam