Why do whales sing? If you only watch one video today, make it this incredible TED-Ed presentation. #juneautours #juneauwhalewatch

The backstory to naming our custom whale watching boats… The namesake of our recent addition to the fleet, the Atlin, is from Atlin Lake—a beautiful 300-square mile body of water in northwestern British Columbia. The Tlingit-inspired L’ook translates to “silver salmon”, a charming boat indeed. Next up: the K’eet is a poignant reference to Southeast Alaskan culture. “K’eet” is the Tlingit-derived word for orca, also known as killer whale. As the very first vessel of the Juneau Whale Watch fleet, the S’eek will always hold a special place in our hearts. Another Tlingit derivative, S’eek means “black bear”. The Rochelle B denotes a meaningful reference to one of our family members, and last but by no means least, the Chilkat is aptly named after the Chilkat Range, in the Haines Borough and the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, just west of Juneau, Alaska. #juneautours #juneauwhalewatch

61 years ago: check out what the tour buses at Mendenhall Glacier looked like then! We indirectly sourced this picture from a 1956 publicity drive of Alaska Visitors Association and thought it'd be neat to compare it to one from our fleet today. #juneautours #juneauwhalewatch

Happy Labor Day, to all our American and Canadian friends! In honor of the labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws and well-being of both the U.S.A and Canada. Wishing you a fun and relaxing holiday, from all the team at Juneau Tours and Watch.

Whale Breaching Explained...May Be? Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) fit the word “fascinating” to a T, and their classic breaching display is just one specific example of this. Read more on the blindingly skillful behavior of breaching... http://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/2028-2/ Whale SENSE Humpback whale Whales

Whale hello there! Whalecome to fun Thursday, can we tail you something? That depends: whale you not judge us? "Whale you STOP with the puns, already?" In a moment, bear with us. "Are you squidding me?" Whale this is getting awkward, perhaps out of sand. We've got a lot on the brine so without further ado, we're going in for the krill...job whale done? Whale promise to do better next time, sea you later. #fintastic . . . . . Stock pictures below courtesy of Google images.

Happy Tuesday to you all: it's a GLORIOUS day in Juneau, Alaska! For your infotainment, previous blog posts have covered 'The Humpback Whale Explained' and '25 Crazy Factoids about the Humpback Whale', and we've even delved into whether 'Are Whales Like Hippos?' Without further ado, we offer you ten salient facts about these incredible creatures, which, without fail, grace us with their hungry presence every summer. #humpbackwhale Whale watching tours on our custom boats are available this season until the end of September 2017--don't miss out! http://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/ten-must-know-facts-humpback-whale/ Whales Humpback whale Whale SENSE

The Tongass National Forest Explained. The very moment you step off your cruise ship or aircraft in Juneau, you will be treated to stunning views of the Tongass National Forest. Fact. The region is often referred to as the “Inside Passage” or the gateway to Alaska. Undeniably, it’s one of the country’s—even the world’s—greenest, biomass hotspots. It’s impossible to miss, primordially shrouded in mist most days, awaiting your pleasure! http://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/tongass-national-forest-explained/ Tongass National Forest

The acrobats of the whale world. Out of all the baleens, humpbacks are undeniably the acrobats of the whale world. As the most exciting to watch, humpback whales can take “playful” to the extreme, performing gymnastic feats without batting an eyelid. As great dancers, they can: head lunge from the depths with mouths agape; spy hop (also known as a head rise—rising vertically toward the surface, with its head out of the water); pec slap (swatting the water’s surface with one or both fins, or tail slap with both flukes); and peduncle slap (an energetic display where the whale throws its tail out of the water and in the process, slaps its peduncle on the surface). They can also perform a fluke up dive (the tail appears out of the water in an upward arch and slowly rolls underwater in conjunction with a dive). And perhaps the most spectacular behavior to see, as seen in the image below, a breach is where the humpback uses its tail to launch itself out and clear of the water, then lands on the surface with a stupendous splash. Not bad for a 25-40 ton mammal! #juneauwhalewatch #juneautours Humpback whale Whales Whale SENSE Image by Jason Spafford.

Our latest movie: Whales of 2017! Assemble yourself to watch some eye-bulging, jaw-on-the-floor moments we've had (and still ARE!) with all the humpbacks gracing us with their presence in Juneau, Alaska this year. Not forgetting the orcas on occasion, too. Undeniably, "E-P-I-C" is a weak term for the whale watching experience. ;o) (Tours available this season until September 30, 2017.) http://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/latest-juneau-whale-watch-movie-whales-2017/ Humpback whale Whale SENSE ORCAS Whales

MENDENHALL GLACIER! Where the city ends, the Juneau ice field in Southeast Alaska begins—and it keeps going. Its centerpiece is Mendenhall Glacier, one of the world’s most accessible glaciers, just 12 miles from downtown Juneau. About 3,000 years ago it began forming but stopped growing in the mid-1700s. Because it's rapidly receding today, now is a precious time to see quite the glacial vision. Incredibly, the glacier’s face alone spans about half a mile, rising 100 feet from the waterline. Mendenhall Glacier is a thing of beauty, with the light glistening on its towering spires, waves playing about its feet and bald eagles saluting as they speed by. Don’t miss out, see our Glacier tours today! Check in with any of our dock representatives below the Mt. Roberts tramway and be guided by one of our friendly and informed bus drivers. http://www.juneautours.com. Mendenhall Glacier Alaska

Humpbacks are serious foodies all right! It takes a LOT of krill and herring to make up the amount each humpback whale needs to sustain itself on a daily basis: about 1.5 tons devoured in Juneau’s cold, nutrient rich waters. They gain up to 12-pounds in weight per hour when they do chow down, about twice a day. Incredibly though, the humpback eats in its feeding grounds for no more than about 120 days. Which means that they live off their fat reserves for the rest of the year—an 8-month long fast—including the migration! . . . . . Image by photographer Jason Spafford. Whale SENSE Juneau Empire Humpback whale Whales