We were scheduled to spend a full day in Ketchikan, so we were able to schedule two tours. We started the day with the extremely comedic Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show right across from the dock. It was a very sunny, albeit windy, day so everybody was alr
eady in a great mood. The show was comprised of two competing teams, one from Canada and one from the United States. They took part in all sorts of lumberjack events involving cutting tools and large pieces of wood, with no small amount of smack talking and comedic gestures. It was only a little over an hour long, but it was absolutely hilarious and very family-friendly. We also got some fun pictures with a lumberjacks afterwords, which I will NEVER complain about!
Next up, we boarded the Aleutian Ballad, one of the retired fishing/crabbing vessels from the TV show “Deadliest Catch” for the Crab Fishermen’s Tour. During the ensuing three hours, we learned how fishermen in the waters off the coast of Alaska catch various kinds of fish and Alaskan King crab. We also learned why the show is called “Deadliest Catch.” The stories the tour guides told us were absolutely mesmerizing and terrifying all at once. However, the best part of the tour was when we stopped just off the coast of a small island controlled 
by a small local Native American tribe. There must have been hundreds of bald eagles waiting in the trees for us. The tour guides started cutting up pieces of fish, and tossing them into the water. And that was when the show began! Imagine anywhere between 50 to 100 wild bald eagles coming in and grasping these pieces of fish out of the water with their huge talons. It was absolutely awe-inspiring! I had no trouble being rolled to the edge of the boat to watch, or to get to and from a comfortable place for the entire tour. I don’t know if I would have been able to go to the bathroom, but since the tour was only three hours I didn’t have to worry about it, fortunately. The tour guides were so incredibly nice and made sure that all my needs were taken care of. And we got some great pictures with them afterwards!
[…] most likely you will be stuck on the ship when you are at a tender report. In places like Juneau or Ketchikan, the ship can either dock or anchor, depending on many factors. Some cruise lines have much better […]