Whales at Auke Bay, Juneau; Bears

[tee_harbor]

All winter, whales were coming into the harbor itself in Auke Bay. I assumed they'd stay out once the busy summer traffic started, but the past few days, the whales have come back in, fishing between the docks and boats. So if you're going on a whale watching tour, have your camera ready from the moment you step off the bus. Some tourists got great pictures already. You can view pictures on the Juneau Photo Group on Facebook. It's not necessary to be a member of FB to see the pictures. (I can't link to FB from this forum)

 

Just now, there was also a video of a bear walking through the parking lot at the harbor. I see a lot of recommendations to only expect bears when the salmon are running at the end of the summer, but there's lots of bears around mid-May through early June when the dandelions are in bloom along the roads. They graze on fresh grass and flowers like cows. There've also been daily sightings at the glacier and various trails. Juneau Bear Sightings is another FB group to check with public posts. It's mostly just bears going through garbage cans, but if you're truly adventurous, you'll see which trailer parks have the best viewing. ;)

[easyboy]

Will check the photos. Thanks for the info.

 

 

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[stjlo]

Those photos on the Facebook page are incredible... thank you for letting us know about them!

 

How common is it to see whales from Auke Bay? Will the whales typically move out away from the bay? We are going to be there the 2nd of August. I'm curious to know what my chances are of seeing a whale from the shore.

[KristyMisty14]

Those photos on the Facebook page are incredible... thank you for letting us know about them!

 

How common is it to see whales from Auke Bay? Will the whales typically move out away from the bay? We are going to be there the 2nd of August. I'm curious to know what my chances are of seeing a whale from the shore.

 

I will be there around then too and would love to know as well!

[tee_harbor]

It's really hard to guess at this point. The whales were in the harbor all winter, then disappeared for the past few months, and have returned this week. I'd watch that FB page right before your cruise to see how it's going. If they're in the harbor, you can stand on the dock and see them. It's a public space.

 

The whale watching excursions all start in Auke Bay. The smaller jet boats leave from this harbor, and the larger catamarans go from the ferry dock another mile along the road.