Days 11-13: Ketchikan

Float plane
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All aboard the Norwegian Sun for 7 days of cruising fun. Beautiful day weather-wise as we set off for cooler climbs up North, settle in with a few beers on deck, cunningly delivered (if buying 5 getting one free) in a American Football helmet. Rest of day one and two at sea watching the scenery sail by and seeing the sun set, didn’t make it up in time (or stay up late enough) to see a sunrise.

First port of call in Alaska was Ketchikan where we’d had already booked our float plane / bear watching excursion. Picked up from the port at around 7am we were bussed across to the ‘airport’ whilst our driver was cagey about the regularity of sightings on these tours – oh dear. Flight itself was great, both of us loved the experience in the small boat come aircraft, me particularly as I got the co-pilots seat and could pretend I was flying, control freak that I am! Within minutes of getting into the van that picked us and the few others on the trip up at the other end we spotted our first bear, smallish being a relative baby (about 1 year old), running across the road in front of us. 5 minutes later we reached the end of the ‘road’ and it was on foot for the quarter of a mile trail through the forest to the viewing platform. Our guide, comical looking being under 5ft with a 3ft beard and shirt open almost to his naval despite it being pretty cold, led the way with his shotgun whilst cheerily telling us to keep our eyes open “on all sides” as the bears use the path to get to the river as well.

Bear sighting
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Once at the platform, a few wooden planks a handrail – nothing grand, we eagerly awaited the coming of the feeding bears. It was easy to see what would attract them here as the water visibly teamed with salmon, to the extent you could probably just stick your hand in an pull one out – with one leaping or attempting to progress up river leaping up the small rocks every minute. Waited, waited, waited. Then just as we were about to head back a female brown bear appeared and waded out to fish – amazing being so close to such an animal in the wild. As we moved in slightly closer (as where the path back went) we must have got within 25 ft of her – brilliant.

Salmon leaping at bear lookout
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Took a quick wander around Ketichkan, touristy but quite quaint for an hour or so, then back to eat and drink on our floating resort.