Winter Adventures
Sitka: Winter Haven for the Humpback Whale
One of the more bittersweet ironies of the summer travel season in Sitka is that whales, while fairly common and easy to find out in the Sound in summer, practically park themselves in front of Sitka's harbor through most of the fall and early winter. From mid-September until mid-January or so, the waters in the Sitka vicinity are home to as many as eighty whales. Biologists believe the intently-feeding whales are building up food reserves prior to their mid-winter migration to the tropics, where they will fast, breed, and give birth.
The high concentration of whales in Sitka in the autumn and winter has not been widely publicized by Alaska's largely summer-oriented travel industry. Since much of the Alaskan mystique depends on ice and snow, the state's image-makers have been reluctant betray this disturbing truth: winter in Sitka is often pretty nice. What would you expect in the heart of one of the world's only temperate rain forests? True, summer is a fabulous time to tour Alaska, but a winter vacation up here can be spectacular. Here are a couple of suggestions:
The Haines Eagle Festival/Sitka WhaleFest
In Haines and Sitka. 
Don't be alarmed by the term "festival." This is an unparalleled opportunity to see two impressive natural spectacles in one trip. Fly to Juneau aboard Alaska Airlines, then catch the Alaska Marine Highway ferry for the three-hour, very scenic trip to Haines and the Haines Bald Eagle Festival. Observe the largest concentration of bald eagles (about 4,000) in the world as they feed on the last salmon run of the season in the Chilkat River. Attend lectures and programs on the eagle, and witness the release of birds back into the wild by the Alaska Raptor Center. Catch the ferry again for the overnight trip to Sitka. Up to eighty whales congregate in Sitka's harbor to feed intently before heading south. Ditto Haines for lectures and programs, add whale watching cruises. Fly home (but only after carefully documenting your trip with photographs and receipts otherwise no one will believe you). This trip will work well whether you attend the festivals or not from October through January. For more information on the Sitka WhaleFest call 907-747-8657 or Email: director@sitkawhalefest.org or visit: www.sitkawhalefest.org.
Spring Break With Eagles and Whales/Herring Madness
In Sitka and Juneau.
Beginning around the third week of March, dense herring schools return to Sitka Sound to spawn. Whales, sea lions, eagles, and fishermen all follow close on their heels (or fins). The harvest will be worth millions when the egg sacs are stripped from the herring and sold to the Japanese, who treasure raw herring roe as a New Year's delicacy. Both the Alaska Raptor Center and the University of Alaska Southeast offer natural history programs that take advantage of the unusually high density of wildlife in Sitka during herring season in late March and April. In mid-April, you can cap off your trip by attending the Alaska Folk Festival. Take an eight-hour cruise on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Juneau (or fly on Alaska Airlines). Fly home (or sell everything and buy a herring permit).
For information about skiing, eagles, and accommodations in Haines, Alaska, please contact:
Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
P.O. Box 1449
Haines, AK 99827
1-800-246-6286
For information about the Alaska Folk Festival, go to their website or please contact:
Juneau Convention & Visitors' Bureau
134 Third Street
Juneau, AK 99801
907-586-2201