Valdez

Valdez gave the best "critter" viewing as well as some great vistas from the bay.  We took a boat tour out into the bay, luckily we were able to get inside to stay warm.  Not all of the great critter viewing  was seen from the boat as the Trumpeter Swans (shown below) attest, along with the best surprise we got that is shown below.

Trumpeter Swans

The mountains surrounding the bay (and yes it was cold)

The sea lions used the buoys as well as the rocks to take a rest. 

The sea otters rafting up

The salmon were running and the fishers were successful.  Since the salmon were not feeding bait was not successful.  All the fish catchers were wading out into the water with the salmon.  The successful catches were; snagging the fish with the hook, and landing it by any number of body parts, tail back, nose, gills, etc;

A satisfying catch

swimming out and grabbing the fish in your mouth and swallowing whole;

The sea lion (in the for ground) and the human fishers just ignored each other

No chew just swallow

and the final fishing technique, bite, rip and tear.  This was a great surprise for the critter papporattzzi (yes Jo and I were right in there with them), a mama grizzly and her 4 cubs. 

Just checking out the humans and encouraging the photography

Not a lot separating the humans and the bear

Ok, mom where is dinner

And yes the human wade fishing continued.  So whats with a bear, there is plenty salmon and they are running!

Darned kids always hungry

Don't crowed there is plenty

The runt had an "attitude"

Share!!!!  Forget it mom, get your own

I mean an ATTITUDE

I'll smack you silly; GET AWAY

The eagles were just posing, and acting as scoring judges.  The bear got 9.6 while the sea lion got a 9.9  They really did not care who won, as they cleaned up the leftovers.

Parent and 4 kids