Are we there yet??: Sailing the Inside Passage

Our next destination, Sitka, involved 2 nights and 1 ½ days on the ferry. Getting back onto the “Matamuska” was like returning to the womb, with the steady thrum of the engines, and the crew playing ‘Mum’ providing us with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although the cabins are basic with upper and lower bunks, each has a shower, hand-basin and a toilet. On deck the scenery was spectacular with snow-capped mountain and islands covered in trees. Once again we could not have been more fortunate with the weather and were blessed with cloudless blue skies.

We studied the water - scanning right to left as we were instructed – the way they do in sniper school apparently!! Near the shoreline there was a dark shape in the water, then a column of misty air as the whale blew. The tale came up and it dived below – our one and only sighting.

During a 5 hour layover in Juneau we took the RV ashore to explore. It was quite cold, semi-deserted and did not impress us much. We had a meal with a view, and ran back to the Matamuska (Mum) ready to sail off again into the night, snugly tucked up in our bunks.

Next morning we travelled through the Sergia Narrows. At times the shore was only 50m away as we sailed amongst dozens of small islands, with blue sky and mirror-smooth waters. Our cameras were at the ready as whales are often seen here. We became friends with the purser who is a keen photographer. When he appeared on deck our excitement mounted, our cell phone cameras held at the ready but nary a whale to snap. We heard that one was seen on the other side of the boat but it had gone by the time we got there. The purser of course, was in the right place at the right time. We learned the lesson, and followed him around like faithful puppies, but no more whales for us.

Sitka was founded by the Russians as a trading post for the fur trade. Once they had trapped sea otters to near extinction Sitka and Alaska was of no further value to them and they sold it to the US. It has a lot of Russian and first nation history and a permanent population of around 8900. Like Juneau there is no road access - you can only get here by ferry or by air. For much of the year it is a fishing village but come 1 May the cruise ships arrive and there can be up to three ships and 5000 tourists ashore. For us though it was peaceful, sunny and lovely as we walked and cycled.

The Fortress of the Bear is a large enclosure that is home to five very big grizzly bears and three black bears all orphaned as cubs. The centre is run by a young English couple who have dedicated themselves to saving as many bears as they can. Unfortunately Alaska law prevents them being returned to the wild and as these bears have long life spans it is a long-term commitment for them. Although officially closed they gave us a tour and passionate talk about their work. We also visited The Raptor Centre, another conservation centre that takes in injured birds such as owls, bald eagles and the like. Fortunately they are able to return most of their charges to the wild, but there are some that have to remain for life due to disabling injuries. Our final visit was to the Sheldon Jackson museum, a beautiful historic building and former first-nation school campus which now houses a huge collection of native art, artifacts and photos.

Sitka was a delight and we were sad to be reaching the end of our inside passage wanderings. The next stop was Juneau for one night, then the gold stampede town of Skagway and finally leaving to drive north from Haines. We would really recommend the Alaska ferries as a great way to travel the inside passage. It gives the freedom to hop off where you choose, has good basic facilities and food, and is a fraction of the cost of a cruise ship.