We had first glimpsed some whales whilst cruising through the Inside Passage  on our early morning approach to Juneau, Alaska. Now, on an excursion whale watching trip we were to witness these giants of the ocean up close and personal, how close and personal only time would tell. Our vessel was a large jet powered catamaran, which gave a quick but fairly smooth trip across the bay towards some small islands.

Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Humpback Whales are Baleen whales, the baleen is the area near the throat of the mammal through which they filter their food from the large volume of sea water that they ingest. They can be individually identified by the shape and color of their tail or fluke, black with white markings, many of them scarred. Humpbacks may reach a length of 50 plus feet and weigh about 30 tons, the females being larger than the males. During the winter they migrate 2800 miles south to Hawaii where mating usually takes place, the young being born 11-12 months later before the long journey back to Alaska. It is said that to humpback whales Alaska is the kitchen and Hawaii is the bedroom and nursery.