Hello Everyone,
Known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” Ketchikan is the most Southeastern city in Alaska and the fifth most populous. With your ship literally docking downtown, it’s easy to walk around for shopping. You can take public transportation or rent a car if you prefer to see sites a distance from town such as the totem poles.
NEARBY SITES TO EXPLORE
On the dock, at Berth 2, you’ll find the visitor center. It’s a large building, loaded with brochures, that serves as a tour center. Next to the center is Ketchikan’s liquid sunshine gauge. The city averages 153 inches of rain a year.
At Berth 1, look for the beautiful statue “The Rock” by David Rubin featuring seven life-size figures from Ketchikan’s past: Chief Johnson, a logger, a fisherman, a miner, an aviator, a Native woman drumming, and an elegant 1890's woman dressed in her finery. Chief Johnson was involved in the 1887 migration of several hundred Tsimshian from Old Metlakatla, British Columbia to New Metlakatla on Annette Island, Alaska. The statue was unveiled July 4, 2010.
Downtown you might want to scope out Creek Street which goes up Ketchikan Creek. It’s the home of several shops and Dolly’s House Museum. During the early days of Ketchikan, this street housed 20 brothels with Dolly’s being a very popular one with fishermen and miners. The street ends at a gorge. The salmon ladder here is regarded as an excellent site to see these fish fighting their way upstream to spawn.
The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show is a 5-10 minute walk from your ship. This show lasts for an hour and takes place three to five times daily. It’s action packed with twelve events. You’ll observe speed chopping, sawing, chainsaw races, log rolling, and a speed climb. There are concession stands and a souvenir store
Adult tickets are $37 as compared to $39.75 if purchased on the Millennium. For children, it’s $18.50 as compared to $19.75 as a ship excursion. No transportation is provided from the ship. The address is 420 Spruce Mill Way and the telephone number is (888) 320-9049.
TOTEM POLES NOT ON EXCURSIONS
Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles. These can be observed at four major locations: Saxman Totem Park, Totem Bight State Park, Potlatch Totem Park, and the Totem Heritage Center. You may have to find your own way to Totem Bight and Totem Heritage since some ships, such as Millennium, don’t have excursions to these two sites.
During the mid 1700's to the late 1800's, the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida tribes invested in potlatch celebrations and the creation of totem poles. By the late 1800s these tribes had been decimated by smallpox and tuberculosis. They moved at that time into cities, where work was available, leaving their villages and totems behind. The poles were soon overgrown by forests and eroded away by the weather. Some of these poles were removed in the 1930's.
In 1938, the U.S. Forest Service began a program of salvaging and reconstructing the totem poles which had been left behind. They used Civilian Conservation Corps funds to hire skilled carvers from among the older Natives. Under this program, younger artists learned how to carve totem poles, and totems, which were now rotting in the woods, were either repaired or duplicated.
A model Native village, then called Mud Bight, was created at what is now called Totem Bight. Besides freshly cut cedar logs were laid fragments of the old poles. Attempts were then made to replicate them using handmade carving tools. These were modeled after the traditional tools used before the coming of the Europeans. The craftsmen made samples of Native paints from natural substances - clam shells, lichen, graphite, copper pebbles, and salmon eggs. Modern paints then duplicated the natural colors.
When the CCC activity slowed due to World War II, the community house and 15 poles were in place. The site’s name became Totem Bight. With statehood, the land’s title changed from the federal government to the State of Alaska. In 1970, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and came under the management of Alaska's Department of Natural Resources.
We saw on a previous cruise 14 copies of original Tlingit and Haida totem poles and a replica clan house. It is doubtful the clan house would have existed since the site was originally a fish camp. However, the design is representative of what many permanent Indian villages built in the early 1800's. It would have housed between 30 and 50 people - several families of one lineage - presided over by a house chief. The exterior painting is of a stylized Raven with each eye elaborated into a face. Designs like this were rare and represented wealth.
It is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is located at 9883 N Tongass Highway, ten miles north of Ketchikan. The telephone number is (907) 247-8574. We rented a car for our visit here, but you can reach it via the city bus.
During the summer of 1970, the last of the early standing totems was recovered and brought to Ketchikan’s Totem Heritage Center. These are memorial poles, story poles, family poles, and clan poles - each with their own design and story to tell.
Established in 1976, The Totem Heritage Center houses 33 poles in a climate-controlled environment of which 16 are on permanent display. You’ll see photos of the old village sites and Native artifacts such as baskets, masks, and regalia.
To get there, take the free downtown shuttle or the city bus. The center is open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from May through September. Winter hours are Monday through Friday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Entrance fee is $5. The address is 601 Deermount Street and the telephone number is (907) 225-5900.
KETCHIKAN EXCURSIONS
Celebrity’s Millennium offers a choice of 36 tours which should satisfy everyone’s interest. Some of the most popular are to Misty Fjords National Monument, the nation’s second largest wilderness region. The monument is an untouched two-million acre area in the Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska containing almost all of the coastal and interior climates. Visitors see mountains, glaciers, and glacial valleys.
Five excursions involve floatplane experiences to Misty Fjords with two including crab feasts. Six concentrate on wildlife sightseeing including two cruises to Misty Fjord. One of these two cruises combines with flight seeing. Other wildlife adventures include one on the coast, one enjoying a crab feast, and one that is an eco-tour of a rainforest.
Destination highlights cover ten tours. Some includeThe Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Others visit Saxman Native Village or Potlatch Totem Park, both known for Tlingit and Haida totem poles. Others combine the lumberjack show with Saxman or Potlatch Totem Park. You can tour by bus, Duck, or historic trolley the town’s various sites.
Those seeking active adventures can take a back country jeep and canoe safari, go kayaking, take an expedition in a Tomcar Kart, or choose one of three fishing trips. You can also have a ZipLine Adventure, go seacycling, snorkeling, and hiking. The ship even offers a Geocaching adventure. Fishermen might like the World Flavors tour combining viewing marine wildlife, fishing, a tour of Millennium’s galley, and a chef-inspired dinner where you eat your own catch.
SAXMAN NATIVE VILLAGE
On a previous Alaska cruise, we visited Saxman Native Village. It contains the largest collection of standing totem poles, but that’s not all. It also houses a clan house, Native carving shed, gift shop, and a short walk through the rainforest. Eleven poles are lined up along a street which dead-ends to a cross street with 14 more and the clan house.
The Haida poles have many whale carvings as Haidas have spiritual connections with these animals. They believe the whale’s display of loyalty and obedience reflects their own clan values. They see the whale as friendly and helpful to humans and believe that Haidas lost at sea are spiritually adopted into the Killer Whale pod.
The Beaver Clan House features a carving of a beaver on the outside while inside are four carved house posts and a large carved panel. It was traditionally used as a communal house for a several clans or families of a tribe. The interior totems told the history of the clans or families living inside.
Two short, gravel lined, walking paths go through the rainforest that surrounds the park. One takes you to the carving shed where you can watch, through plexiglass, native carvers working on current projects commissioned from all over the world.
Saxman Native Village is located about 2-1/2 miles south of downtown on S. Tongass Highway in Saxman. If you are going on your own, rent a car (we did), ride the Red Line bus which leaves you about 10 minutes away, or take a taxi. Admission is $5 if you explore the park on your own, but that only allows you to see the poles and carving shed.
On your Millennium excursion, your tour includes an explanation of the poles. You'll learn all the figures represent living beings. During your visit to the clan house, you’ll watch a short video about the history and culture of Saxman and see a native song and dance show. Independent tours and walk-in visitors do not normally have access to these.
BERING SEA CRAB FISHERMAN’S TOUR
Since we had visited Ketchikan on two prior Alaska cruises, we had seen the lumberjack show, totem poles at three sites, and walked Creek Street famous for its Red Light district.
We chose the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour whose boat, Aleutian Ballad, was featured during the second season of “Deadliest Catch.” It is TripAdvisor’s number one excursion for this port. This three-hour tour demonstrates how commercial crab fishing is done.
The 107-foot Aleutian Ballad served 26-years as a Bering Sea crab fishing boat. It achieved fame when it was caught in a rogue wave, capsized, and survived. Having recovered from that incident, it’s the only boat previously on Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” television series now giving tours.
It ‘s tied up at berth three where the cruise ships dock making it easy walking distance to the boat. Mandatory check-in is at least 15 minutes prior to tour departure time. A shuttle is available for those who require it.
You can stand on the open deck upstairs or sit in a heated grandstand. Seasickness is not a problem since the tour stays in the protected waters of the Inside Passage, It cruises around the nearby islands and bays surrounding Ketchikan. It’s wise, because of Ketchikan’s weather, to dress warmly and in layers.
The tour was the dream of Dave Lethin, the boat owner. Lethin was a Bering Sea crab captain. Before establishing his tour, he had fished for 45 years including serving 10 years in the wheelhouse. On this cruise, Captains Jack Molan and Captain Terry Barkley joined him. Terry did most of the narration. He worked up from being a deck hand on this boat and has been with Dave for a long time. Jack was a captain for 30 years and is an incredible photographer.
Shortly after pulling up anchor, Dave related the story of the Aleutian Ballad. In 1991, she survived a storm with 170 mile winds and 60-foot seas. It did knock the boat to its side. The crew put on survival suits and abandoned ship. David grabbed the radio, sent a Mayday signal, and saved all of his men that night. They managed to get to Dutch Harbor with the Coast Guard rescuing the boat. In 2006, the Aleutian Ballad was on the show.
Terry demonstrated the life jacket and pointed out the location of facilities on the boat. At the same time, Jack was busy cutting up 25 pounds of herring, and baiting the hooks to entice halibut, cod, and rockfish. He informed me that machines on boats now do hundreds of pounds of herring at a time.
The fishermen use circular hooks to catch more fish. The key is to hook the herring’s eyes since that attracts the fish better. Commercial boats catch 20,000 tons a day. They spread their hooks across most of the ocean and hope to catch a variety of fish.
On the way to the fishing grounds, we learned more about the Aleutian Ballad’s history as a working crab fishing boat in the Bering Sea. The captains told the history of Alaska’s fisheries, expounded on the types of fishing boats, and explained the gear we would see on our tour. They also told stories of fishing adventures, including perilous ones. We learned why the television program is called “Deadliest Catch.”
Lucky passengers on this tour may spot a bear, deer, seals, whales, or Orcas. Staff keeps a close eye out for these and lets those on board know if they’re spotted. We weren’t fortunate enough to see those mammals.
A highlight was stopping across from Annette Island where dozens of bald eagles live. It’s part of the Annette Island Indian Reserve. The Aleutian Ballad can fish and drop crab pots there due to an exclusive licensing partnership with the Metlakatla Indian Tribe, who hold total jurisdiction of the waters off the island’s shoreline.
Jack, who captained the Cornelia Bree last year, fed these birds pieces of halibut and spiny rockfish. Seeing 20 to 30 bald eagles, both juveniles and adults, swooping down to grab the fish, ten to fifteen feet from the boat, was something we’ll never forget.
Later, we viewed 550 pound crab pots being hauled aboard. The process involved tossing the grappling hook to grab the trap line, placing the line in the winch block, and pulling the traps up into the boat. Bait is placed around the pots’ tunnel. Crabs climb up the tunnel and are caught.
The crab pots had different types of crabs inside. These Box, Snow, and Dungeness crabs were placed in an on-deck aquarium for closeup viewing. They were passed around so passengers could hold them and take photos before the crabs were returned to the water.
Commercial crab fishermen start January 20 each year and fish until the crabs are gone. Nowadays, each boat has its quota. Crab boats can hold 178,000 tons of crab and can fill up in 15 to 16 hours. Each boat has hundreds of these pots, weighing up to 1,000 pounds each. After getting the crabs on board, the pots are returned to the water. A good crew can run about 100 pots in an hour. Snow and Dungeness crabs are sold commercially while Box Crabs aren’t.
We saw and were told about the Brown King Crab. Those caught in Alaskan waters must be seven inches or longer across the back to keep and must be male. Catching a female can lead to a $10,000 citation. The female is like a pyramid underneath where she carries her legs. She can eject a leg if it is grabbed. It takes three molting cycles to make a new leg.
The crew caught spot prawns and squid in some pots and reeled in long lines hung with rockfish (red snapper). Some of these were tossed back immediately while others found a temporary home in the aquarium.
A barrel pot was also hauled up with a Giant Pacific octopus in it. It was placed into the “live tank” with the others. We learned the octopus has a beak like a parrot. It’s the only bone in its body. Octopuses have a life span of five to six years. A female gestates 180 days, throughout which time she won’t leave her nest. This is the end of her life cycle.
Besides the crabs, we had an opportunity to touch and photograph these other creatures, too. Later on, the crew released all animals they had caught.
Terry showed tagged crab pots. Guests on board or fishermen purchase tags to collect money for the Fishermen Memorial Fund. The fund sends donations to different families each year.
Guests can enter the on board gift shop for complimentary coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and snacks. They can borrow large stadium jackets to wear on board. There are four full size restrooms on the boat, one of which is wheelchair accessible.
Those who enjoy photography will love this tour as picture taking opportunities are everywhere. You may want to take a video cam as well to capture the action. Toward the tour’s end, passengers stood in line to briefly hand over their cameras so photos of them and the captains could be taken.
The Millennium does charge $189 for adult tickets and $115.75 for children or you can purchase tickets directly for $169 and $109 respectively. You can cancel without fees your reservation up to seven days before or there is a $25 per person charge if you cancel within 24 hours.
A representative from the tour company will wait for you at the bottom of the gangway, 30 minutes prior to the tour’s departure time, if you’re arriving by cruise ship. Look for the bright yellow jacket and the sign reading “Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour.” Their telephone numbers are (907) 821-2722 and (888) 239-3816.
Known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” Ketchikan is the most Southeastern city in Alaska and the fifth most populous. With your ship literally docking downtown, it’s easy to walk around for shopping. You can take public transportation or rent a car if you prefer to see sites a distance from town such as the totem poles.
NEARBY SITES TO EXPLORE
On the dock, at Berth 2, you’ll find the visitor center. It’s a large building, loaded with brochures, that serves as a tour center. Next to the center is Ketchikan’s liquid sunshine gauge. The city averages 153 inches of rain a year.
At Berth 1, look for the beautiful statue “The Rock” by David Rubin featuring seven life-size figures from Ketchikan’s past: Chief Johnson, a logger, a fisherman, a miner, an aviator, a Native woman drumming, and an elegant 1890's woman dressed in her finery. Chief Johnson was involved in the 1887 migration of several hundred Tsimshian from Old Metlakatla, British Columbia to New Metlakatla on Annette Island, Alaska. The statue was unveiled July 4, 2010.
Downtown you might want to scope out Creek Street which goes up Ketchikan Creek. It’s the home of several shops and Dolly’s House Museum. During the early days of Ketchikan, this street housed 20 brothels with Dolly’s being a very popular one with fishermen and miners. The street ends at a gorge. The salmon ladder here is regarded as an excellent site to see these fish fighting their way upstream to spawn.
The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show is a 5-10 minute walk from your ship. This show lasts for an hour and takes place three to five times daily. It’s action packed with twelve events. You’ll observe speed chopping, sawing, chainsaw races, log rolling, and a speed climb. There are concession stands and a souvenir store
Adult tickets are $37 as compared to $39.75 if purchased on the Millennium. For children, it’s $18.50 as compared to $19.75 as a ship excursion. No transportation is provided from the ship. The address is 420 Spruce Mill Way and the telephone number is (888) 320-9049.
TOTEM POLES NOT ON EXCURSIONS
Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles. These can be observed at four major locations: Saxman Totem Park, Totem Bight State Park, Potlatch Totem Park, and the Totem Heritage Center. You may have to find your own way to Totem Bight and Totem Heritage since some ships, such as Millennium, don’t have excursions to these two sites.
During the mid 1700's to the late 1800's, the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida tribes invested in potlatch celebrations and the creation of totem poles. By the late 1800s these tribes had been decimated by smallpox and tuberculosis. They moved at that time into cities, where work was available, leaving their villages and totems behind. The poles were soon overgrown by forests and eroded away by the weather. Some of these poles were removed in the 1930's.
In 1938, the U.S. Forest Service began a program of salvaging and reconstructing the totem poles which had been left behind. They used Civilian Conservation Corps funds to hire skilled carvers from among the older Natives. Under this program, younger artists learned how to carve totem poles, and totems, which were now rotting in the woods, were either repaired or duplicated.
A model Native village, then called Mud Bight, was created at what is now called Totem Bight. Besides freshly cut cedar logs were laid fragments of the old poles. Attempts were then made to replicate them using handmade carving tools. These were modeled after the traditional tools used before the coming of the Europeans. The craftsmen made samples of Native paints from natural substances - clam shells, lichen, graphite, copper pebbles, and salmon eggs. Modern paints then duplicated the natural colors.
When the CCC activity slowed due to World War II, the community house and 15 poles were in place. The site’s name became Totem Bight. With statehood, the land’s title changed from the federal government to the State of Alaska. In 1970, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and came under the management of Alaska's Department of Natural Resources.
We saw on a previous cruise 14 copies of original Tlingit and Haida totem poles and a replica clan house. It is doubtful the clan house would have existed since the site was originally a fish camp. However, the design is representative of what many permanent Indian villages built in the early 1800's. It would have housed between 30 and 50 people - several families of one lineage - presided over by a house chief. The exterior painting is of a stylized Raven with each eye elaborated into a face. Designs like this were rare and represented wealth.
It is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is located at 9883 N Tongass Highway, ten miles north of Ketchikan. The telephone number is (907) 247-8574. We rented a car for our visit here, but you can reach it via the city bus.
During the summer of 1970, the last of the early standing totems was recovered and brought to Ketchikan’s Totem Heritage Center. These are memorial poles, story poles, family poles, and clan poles - each with their own design and story to tell.
Established in 1976, The Totem Heritage Center houses 33 poles in a climate-controlled environment of which 16 are on permanent display. You’ll see photos of the old village sites and Native artifacts such as baskets, masks, and regalia.
To get there, take the free downtown shuttle or the city bus. The center is open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from May through September. Winter hours are Monday through Friday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Entrance fee is $5. The address is 601 Deermount Street and the telephone number is (907) 225-5900.
KETCHIKAN EXCURSIONS
Celebrity’s Millennium offers a choice of 36 tours which should satisfy everyone’s interest. Some of the most popular are to Misty Fjords National Monument, the nation’s second largest wilderness region. The monument is an untouched two-million acre area in the Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska containing almost all of the coastal and interior climates. Visitors see mountains, glaciers, and glacial valleys.
Five excursions involve floatplane experiences to Misty Fjords with two including crab feasts. Six concentrate on wildlife sightseeing including two cruises to Misty Fjord. One of these two cruises combines with flight seeing. Other wildlife adventures include one on the coast, one enjoying a crab feast, and one that is an eco-tour of a rainforest.
Destination highlights cover ten tours. Some includeThe Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Others visit Saxman Native Village or Potlatch Totem Park, both known for Tlingit and Haida totem poles. Others combine the lumberjack show with Saxman or Potlatch Totem Park. You can tour by bus, Duck, or historic trolley the town’s various sites.
Those seeking active adventures can take a back country jeep and canoe safari, go kayaking, take an expedition in a Tomcar Kart, or choose one of three fishing trips. You can also have a ZipLine Adventure, go seacycling, snorkeling, and hiking. The ship even offers a Geocaching adventure. Fishermen might like the World Flavors tour combining viewing marine wildlife, fishing, a tour of Millennium’s galley, and a chef-inspired dinner where you eat your own catch.
SAXMAN NATIVE VILLAGE
On a previous Alaska cruise, we visited Saxman Native Village. It contains the largest collection of standing totem poles, but that’s not all. It also houses a clan house, Native carving shed, gift shop, and a short walk through the rainforest. Eleven poles are lined up along a street which dead-ends to a cross street with 14 more and the clan house.
The Haida poles have many whale carvings as Haidas have spiritual connections with these animals. They believe the whale’s display of loyalty and obedience reflects their own clan values. They see the whale as friendly and helpful to humans and believe that Haidas lost at sea are spiritually adopted into the Killer Whale pod.
The Beaver Clan House features a carving of a beaver on the outside while inside are four carved house posts and a large carved panel. It was traditionally used as a communal house for a several clans or families of a tribe. The interior totems told the history of the clans or families living inside.
Two short, gravel lined, walking paths go through the rainforest that surrounds the park. One takes you to the carving shed where you can watch, through plexiglass, native carvers working on current projects commissioned from all over the world.
Saxman Native Village is located about 2-1/2 miles south of downtown on S. Tongass Highway in Saxman. If you are going on your own, rent a car (we did), ride the Red Line bus which leaves you about 10 minutes away, or take a taxi. Admission is $5 if you explore the park on your own, but that only allows you to see the poles and carving shed.
On your Millennium excursion, your tour includes an explanation of the poles. You'll learn all the figures represent living beings. During your visit to the clan house, you’ll watch a short video about the history and culture of Saxman and see a native song and dance show. Independent tours and walk-in visitors do not normally have access to these.
BERING SEA CRAB FISHERMAN’S TOUR
Since we had visited Ketchikan on two prior Alaska cruises, we had seen the lumberjack show, totem poles at three sites, and walked Creek Street famous for its Red Light district.
We chose the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour whose boat, Aleutian Ballad, was featured during the second season of “Deadliest Catch.” It is TripAdvisor’s number one excursion for this port. This three-hour tour demonstrates how commercial crab fishing is done.
The 107-foot Aleutian Ballad served 26-years as a Bering Sea crab fishing boat. It achieved fame when it was caught in a rogue wave, capsized, and survived. Having recovered from that incident, it’s the only boat previously on Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” television series now giving tours.
It ‘s tied up at berth three where the cruise ships dock making it easy walking distance to the boat. Mandatory check-in is at least 15 minutes prior to tour departure time. A shuttle is available for those who require it.
You can stand on the open deck upstairs or sit in a heated grandstand. Seasickness is not a problem since the tour stays in the protected waters of the Inside Passage, It cruises around the nearby islands and bays surrounding Ketchikan. It’s wise, because of Ketchikan’s weather, to dress warmly and in layers.
The tour was the dream of Dave Lethin, the boat owner. Lethin was a Bering Sea crab captain. Before establishing his tour, he had fished for 45 years including serving 10 years in the wheelhouse. On this cruise, Captains Jack Molan and Captain Terry Barkley joined him. Terry did most of the narration. He worked up from being a deck hand on this boat and has been with Dave for a long time. Jack was a captain for 30 years and is an incredible photographer.
Shortly after pulling up anchor, Dave related the story of the Aleutian Ballad. In 1991, she survived a storm with 170 mile winds and 60-foot seas. It did knock the boat to its side. The crew put on survival suits and abandoned ship. David grabbed the radio, sent a Mayday signal, and saved all of his men that night. They managed to get to Dutch Harbor with the Coast Guard rescuing the boat. In 2006, the Aleutian Ballad was on the show.
Terry demonstrated the life jacket and pointed out the location of facilities on the boat. At the same time, Jack was busy cutting up 25 pounds of herring, and baiting the hooks to entice halibut, cod, and rockfish. He informed me that machines on boats now do hundreds of pounds of herring at a time.
The fishermen use circular hooks to catch more fish. The key is to hook the herring’s eyes since that attracts the fish better. Commercial boats catch 20,000 tons a day. They spread their hooks across most of the ocean and hope to catch a variety of fish.
On the way to the fishing grounds, we learned more about the Aleutian Ballad’s history as a working crab fishing boat in the Bering Sea. The captains told the history of Alaska’s fisheries, expounded on the types of fishing boats, and explained the gear we would see on our tour. They also told stories of fishing adventures, including perilous ones. We learned why the television program is called “Deadliest Catch.”
Lucky passengers on this tour may spot a bear, deer, seals, whales, or Orcas. Staff keeps a close eye out for these and lets those on board know if they’re spotted. We weren’t fortunate enough to see those mammals.
A highlight was stopping across from Annette Island where dozens of bald eagles live. It’s part of the Annette Island Indian Reserve. The Aleutian Ballad can fish and drop crab pots there due to an exclusive licensing partnership with the Metlakatla Indian Tribe, who hold total jurisdiction of the waters off the island’s shoreline.
Jack, who captained the Cornelia Bree last year, fed these birds pieces of halibut and spiny rockfish. Seeing 20 to 30 bald eagles, both juveniles and adults, swooping down to grab the fish, ten to fifteen feet from the boat, was something we’ll never forget.
Later, we viewed 550 pound crab pots being hauled aboard. The process involved tossing the grappling hook to grab the trap line, placing the line in the winch block, and pulling the traps up into the boat. Bait is placed around the pots’ tunnel. Crabs climb up the tunnel and are caught.
The crab pots had different types of crabs inside. These Box, Snow, and Dungeness crabs were placed in an on-deck aquarium for closeup viewing. They were passed around so passengers could hold them and take photos before the crabs were returned to the water.
Commercial crab fishermen start January 20 each year and fish until the crabs are gone. Nowadays, each boat has its quota. Crab boats can hold 178,000 tons of crab and can fill up in 15 to 16 hours. Each boat has hundreds of these pots, weighing up to 1,000 pounds each. After getting the crabs on board, the pots are returned to the water. A good crew can run about 100 pots in an hour. Snow and Dungeness crabs are sold commercially while Box Crabs aren’t.
We saw and were told about the Brown King Crab. Those caught in Alaskan waters must be seven inches or longer across the back to keep and must be male. Catching a female can lead to a $10,000 citation. The female is like a pyramid underneath where she carries her legs. She can eject a leg if it is grabbed. It takes three molting cycles to make a new leg.
The crew caught spot prawns and squid in some pots and reeled in long lines hung with rockfish (red snapper). Some of these were tossed back immediately while others found a temporary home in the aquarium.
A barrel pot was also hauled up with a Giant Pacific octopus in it. It was placed into the “live tank” with the others. We learned the octopus has a beak like a parrot. It’s the only bone in its body. Octopuses have a life span of five to six years. A female gestates 180 days, throughout which time she won’t leave her nest. This is the end of her life cycle.
Besides the crabs, we had an opportunity to touch and photograph these other creatures, too. Later on, the crew released all animals they had caught.
Terry showed tagged crab pots. Guests on board or fishermen purchase tags to collect money for the Fishermen Memorial Fund. The fund sends donations to different families each year.
Guests can enter the on board gift shop for complimentary coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and snacks. They can borrow large stadium jackets to wear on board. There are four full size restrooms on the boat, one of which is wheelchair accessible.
Those who enjoy photography will love this tour as picture taking opportunities are everywhere. You may want to take a video cam as well to capture the action. Toward the tour’s end, passengers stood in line to briefly hand over their cameras so photos of them and the captains could be taken.
The Millennium does charge $189 for adult tickets and $115.75 for children or you can purchase tickets directly for $169 and $109 respectively. You can cancel without fees your reservation up to seven days before or there is a $25 per person charge if you cancel within 24 hours.
A representative from the tour company will wait for you at the bottom of the gangway, 30 minutes prior to the tour’s departure time, if you’re arriving by cruise ship. Look for the bright yellow jacket and the sign reading “Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour.” Their telephone numbers are (907) 821-2722 and (888) 239-3816.
Welcome to Ketchikan
Another Ketchikan Street Scene
Liquid Sunshine Sign Next to the Visitor Center
The Rock by David Rubin
Creek Street
Talking to the Ranger at Totem Bight State Park
One of Totem Bight's Many Totem Poles
Clan House at Totem Bight
Totem Heritage Center
One of Many Poles at Saxman Native Village
Two More Poles at Saxman Native Village
The Beaver Clan House at Saxman Native Village
Carver at Saxman Native Village
Aleutian Ballad at Berth Three in Ketchikan
Captain David Lethin, the Boat's Owner
Jack Cutting Up Herring for Bait
How Many Eagles in the Trees?
There are Fifteen and Here They Are, One Circle Has Two in It
Eagles Swooping for Fish Thrown from the Boat
Eagle Carrying Away the Fish
Jack Bringing in the Crab Pot
Terry Displaying the Snow Crab
Close Up of Snow Crab
Nan Holding the Box Crab
Jack Holding the Brown King Crab
Jack Hauling Up the Barrel Pot
The Giant Pacific Octopus Which Had Been in the Barrel Pot
The On Board Aquarium
Jack Molan Earl Miller Nan Miller Terry Barkley