2022 Alaska and the Inside Passage – Part 7 – Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan

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August 29, 2022 – Shortly after the ship docked in Ketchikan we boarded a bus for a scenic drive to Herring Cove in the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. The tour started with a nature walk on an easy path through the forest to raised boardwalks beside Eagle Creek. Our guides Bryn and Claire were on the lookout for Black Bears that come to the creek to fish for salmon. We learned Eagle Creek is named for the many Eagles that are often seen there. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any that day.

The scenery was spectacular and we found bears! There were eight bears sighted including three cubs. Some of the bears were walking through the dense woods and others were far off at the edge of a field. I saw seven of them but was only able to capture this adult black bear feeding on berries and wading in the creek in search of salmon.

We came out of the forest and walked to the Alaska Raptor Center where we were introduced to these three birds. The birds were rescued after receiving injuries that would prohibit them from surviving in the wild. The mission of the Alaska Raptor Center is to promote and enhance wild populations of raptors and other avian species through rehabilitation, education, and research. 

Ketchikan is home to the most standing totem poles anywhere in the world. A native master totem carver told us how the totems are made before we walked outside to see some of the finished totems.

With about six cruise ships in port the town of Ketchikan was crowded with people as we rode back to our ship. There wasn’t enough time for us to explore the town.

Spending our last day in Alaska seeing bears, raptors, totems, and the town of Ketchikan was a great way to end our Alaska adventure.

Next up – A final day at sea

11 thoughts on “2022 Alaska and the Inside Passage – Part 7 – Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan”

    1. Thanks! I loved walking through the forest. As soon as we got to the boardwalk we started seeing the bears. The totem carver was really interesting. I really enjoyed seeing the ones outside. There are other totem parks in Ketchikan but we were only able to see this one.

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  3. This was a fun tour! It captured the feel of Alaska so perfectly. The totem carver and totems were quite interesting. And how about those Bears!
    Enjoy the rest of your week!

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    1. Nancy, our day in Ketchikan was great. It was our last chance to see bears and they didn’t disappoint. I had never been so close to an Eagle before – she was huge! The totem carver told us a lot about the totems and his tribe’s customs. Enjoy your week.

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