Ketchikan (June 20th)
We flew over Misty Fjord and landed for a boat ride into one of the channels
Ketchikan is the fifth most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska and the southeastern most sizable city in that state.
Ketchikan's economy is based upon tourism and fishing, and the city is known as the "Salmon Capital of the World." The Misty Fjords National Monument is one of the area's major attractions.
Ketchikan is named after Ketchikan Creek, which flows through the town. Ketchikan comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, Kitschk-hin, the meaning of which is unclear, it may mean "the river belonging to Kitschk." Other accounts claim it means "Thundering Wings of an Eagle." Ketchikan also has the world's largest collection of standing totem poles located at three major locations: Saxman Village, Totem Bight, and the Totem Heritage Center. The name Ketchikan may have been derived from the Tlinget word for the sound of an eagle's wings in flight.
Ketchican is a pretty city along the coast. Take a loot at a
panoramic picture of the port.
Things have not changed a lot since the 1920's
Many totems adorn the area. This one looks like Zachary in the
morning.
Did You Know? - Erection of a totem pole is almost never done using modern methods, even for poles installed in modern settings on the outside of public and private buildings. Instead, the traditional ceremony and process of erection is still followed scrupulously by most artists, in that a great wooden scaffold is built, and hundreds of strong men haul the pole upright into its footing, while others steady the pole from side ropes and brace it with cross beams.
Once the pole is completed, a potlatch is typically held where the carver is formally paid and other traditional activities are conducted. The carver will usually, once the pole is freestanding, perform a celebratory and propitiatory dance next to the pole while wielding the tools used to carve it. Also, the base of the pole is burnt before erection to provide a sort of rot resistance.
Did You Know? - Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. The word totem is derived from the Ojibwe word odoodem, "his kinship group".
Being made of cedar, which decays eventually in the rainforest environment of the Northwest Coast, few examples of poles carved before 1900 exist. Noteworthy examples include those at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, BC and the Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver, BC, dating as far back as 1880. And, while 18th century accounts of European explorers along the coast indicate that poles certainly existed prior to 1800, they were smaller and few in number. In all likelihood, the freestanding poles seen by the first European explorers were preceded by a long history of monumental carving, particularly interior house posts.
The ship pulls right up to the town which is very long and across the waterfront.
We walked a small distance to catch the next airplane out of town to
see the wildlife (No, not that kind of "wildlife".
Off To See The Wildlife!
We took another plane out to a remote sight where we caught a boat back to town. The airplane provided and overview while the boat got up-front-and-personal! it was a great mix.
An Airplane Rides Was A Mandatory!
It's also a way of life for many in Alaska... Their means of transportation
Coming in to pick up passengers
Did You Know? - A sea plane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft. Seaplanes and amphibians are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characteristics: floatplanes and flying boats; the latter are generally far larger and can carry far more. These aircraft were sometimes called hydroplanes.
Back to the deHavallen win Otter, work horse of the local area.
Did You Know? - A floatplane has slender pontoons, or floats, mounted under the fuselage. Two floats are common, but other configurations are possible. Only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water. The fuselage remains above water. Some small land aircraft can be modified to become float planes, and in general floatplanes are small aircraft. Floatplanes are limited by their inability to handle wave heights typically greater than 12 inches (0.31 m). These floats add to the empty weight of the airplane, and to the drag coefficient, resulting in reduced payload capacity, slower rate-of-climb, and slower cruise speed.
We land after flying over the inlet which we will travel by boat later in the day!
Now We Transfer To The Boat For An Up-Close View Of The Area!
Zooming right along
Little fishes are out in the water. These are small whales.
Did You Know? - The killer whale (Orcinus orca), commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas. Killer whales as a species have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, walruses and even large whales. Killer whales are regarded as apex predators, lacking natural predators and preying on even large sharks.
Wildlife everywhere
It was cold even in the middle of June!
Thumbs up... Zachary is tough
The bears come right down to the water.
Amazing formations everywhere
The seals lay out in the mid-day sun to tan (nope!). They are resting after a morning of fishing!
Lazy bones
The eagles are majestic birds and fun to watch soaring overhead!