Snorkeling in Alaska

One thing I've come to realize here in Alaska is that days off are few and far between, and so when you get one you have to make the very most of it.  Our last day off was one that we all had together, and we all loaded up the driver van and did some whale watching before spending a few hours hiking up at Ward Lake.  Today was my second day off, and I'd been waiting for it with a long list of cool things I wanted to do.

The way things work here, when you get the rare day off a manager will look at a list of tours and activities you've indicated you're interested in, call their connections to see if they have room for you, and call you to ask if you want to go flying around Misty Fjords in a float plane on a bear watching tour or go kayaking or snorkeling or whatever.  When I found out I was off today I asked if I could get a spot on a plane, since that's number one on my Ketchikan bucket list.  Unfortunately all flights were full, so I got to do my second pick: SNORKELING!!

Vermillion Star

If snorkeling in Alaska sounds a little crazy, that's probably because it is.  But that's what makes it so much fun. I'd wanted to go with a few people I know here, but I was the only person who had today off, so I ended up going alone.  I woke up early and walked down to the dock dressed like a tourist (that makes the whole experience completely different btw; like seeing the world through a different, completely care-free lens), hopped on the snorkel bus with the 4 people from the cruise ship insane enough to fork up the dough to snorkel in Alaska, and experienced the time of my life.

Bat Star

It was as if all the elements conspired together to make everything perfect for us. For one thing, the ever-present clouds burned away and the bright, warm sun was visible for once.  The water was crystal clear, and just about every animal in the ocean popped out to see us.

After donning the wetsuits (which came complete with booties, gloves, and hoods and were designed to completely block out the Alaskan cold) and getting into the water, the first animals I saw were the jellyfish, which were impossible not to spot as they floated through the water by the hundreds.  Most were blue and fairly small, though I did find a dangerous Red Lionsmane, which had the body about the size of a large grapefruit and a lacey mass of tentacles that stretched behind it for a few feet. It

Leather Star (smells like garlic)

was only the second one that our guide had seen, and she bore a nasty burn on her cheek from the last encounter.

Of starfish, we saw much.  Between what I found free diving on my own and what the guides found and brought up to the surface for us to hold, there were 7 different types of starfish.  I also saw salmon fry and smelt, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and plenty of crabs.

Saw a Sunflower Star that had expelled it's stomach 

It was an awesome trip, and the best part is I heard from one of the guides that almost every night they go down into the ocean with full scuba gear and spear hunt for fish, and since I'm scuba certified, I'll be able to go with them one of these times.  I can't wait!

Brittle Star

Saw a bunch of these tiny little stars grouped up together