Day 1: Juneau, Alaska

Captive Bald Eagle, Mt. Roberts

We spent the morning walking round the town and taking the cable-car up Mount Roberts. For $25 each, expectations were high. Alas, the trails were still closed up-top thanks to several feet of remaining snow, a fact they only told us once the doors were closed and we were half way to the top! Getting there, you find the usual collection of small stores selling the usual collection of stuff. They had a captive bald eagle that managed to look majestic and extremely sad all in one pose. Someone had shot it and the resulting injuries were too severe to allow it to fly wild again.

In the afternoon we took a helicopter tide up to the Taku glacier where the pilot parked it allowed us out to walk around for about 15 minutes. Flight there and back was spectacular and we had a rare sunny Alaska day by the time we took off so overall the viewing conditions were very good.

Time for a short bus transfer to the dock to join the Spirit of Endeavour, a diminutive ship (70 passengers) compared to the behemoths moored elsewhere in Juneau that cater for a couple of thousand of yoru closest friends at one go.

By the time we boarded the ship at 5 pm we’d seen two eagles (excluding the caged one), & a whale. Great day, but better in store for tomorrow.