Sitka Whalefest has two wildlife cruises each year. This year we took both of them. According to Jan Straley there are 100 whales in Sitka Sound right now, bulking up for their 30 day swim to Hawaii and their mating and calving seasons. The weather Friday night was so stormy that I wondered if we would get out on the water Saturday morning, but as the sun rose the skies broke open with dramatic clouds and sun and we were out in the middle of the whales.
Normally I spend my time taking pictures of the whales on these cruises but the clouds and mountains were so beautiful with the clouds and sun playing tag, the new fresh and white snow on the mountain tops and the red and gold autumn ground foliage that many of my pics are of the landscape. We had two great mornings on the sound with whales popping up and then diving, leaving their “footprints” on the water.