Above are just a few pictures from my recent back-to-back tours in Sitka, AK. Each tour featured three trips on Sitka Sound to photograph whales, eagles, bears, fishing boats, puffins, and more.
Weather was sometimes a challenge, especially during the first tour where we had our share of rain. But we still saw and photographed plenty of whales, and even Coastal Brown Bears along a shoreline. Seeing bears from the boat was a first for me; apparently that usually happens more in September, but we saw at least one bear each time we ventured to a hatchery on Silver Bay.
During our land-side time, we visited the Mosquito Cove trail, Herring Cove trail, the Alaska Raptor Center, Indian River and the Sitka National Historic Park (Totem Park), Harbor Mountain, Blue Lake, and more. We had lots of opportunities to photograph bald eagles from the boat and from land. Some of the best opportunities for eagles and other birds (like Kingfisher and Western Tattler) were found on the water edge of Totem Park as well as along Indian River.
For this trip, I rented the Nikon 80-400 f/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR lens from Lensrentals.com. It turned out to be a perfect choice. It’s easy to hand-hold and is incredibly sharp. I may just have to buy one of these.
