Sitka, Day 4-Part 1

We lost internet service for most of last night, putting me a day behind on posting, so this is going to be big pics, short words again. 

(Apparently Starlink works better in the open ocean than it does closer to land or in crowded areas. Who knew?)

Making new friends

Day 4 was rainy and cold. Our “Otters, Raptors and Bears” tour started about 1:30 pm and got us back to the ship just before 7, cold, wet, hungry and very happy. 

 On the tour bus, ready for adventure  

First stop was the Alaska Raptor Center (here) where the rehabilitate birds for (hopefully) release back to the wild. 

Some that can’t be released they use for teaching ambassadors. 

 Main compound

Beautiful birds, 

 Bald eagle nest, she’s as big as a fledgling!

gorgeous location, 

 Photographer in action

great gift shop that the girls took full advantage of. 

 Large photo is 2 releasable bald, the 3 birds are permanent residents due to injurieseagles

(Addy wants to study raptors so she was especially thrilled with this stop.)

 Ambassador bird

Fortress of the Bear (here) was started 

 One of two bear compounds 

by a father-daughter team to rescue bear cubs 

who had been abandoned or whose mothers had died.

 Feeeeeed meeeeeeeee

The State of Alaska doesn’t have a cub rehabilitation program (??!?) 

 Enjoying his salmon

so before this the cubs were left to fend for themselves or were euthanized. 

They have 8 bears permanently in residence 

and have placed many others in zoos and other facilities.

Sad story: they warned us before we went out to the viewing area that ”nature is taking its course”. 

A duck had nested in the bear enclosure and currently was trying to protect her chicks from the resident bear. You can imagine how that is going. 

Mama duck kept swimming and squawking at the bear, who seemed more amused than anything. 

He’d swim right up to mom, then turn away. 

But apparently there are fewer nestlings everyday. ☹️

 The good photos are by Rachel

Trying to post this before we lose the internet again. Captions and corrections tomorrow…