Icy Strait Point is a tiny Tlingit village of about 900 that decided to 
restore what they could to its original character, add a museum chronicling salmon and subsistence fishing and offer adventures such as zip-lining and whale watching to help fund their community. The Hoona people were so welcoming! We attended a presentation on tribal dance and legends which could have been silly (especially with the presenters being high school students) but somehow was just charming. The students all earn high school credit as well as money and were excited to be taking their stories to a big conference on native legends.
We spent some time in the cannery museum as well as the many small shops they have as part of this – all offering Alaskan crafts and products.
Afternoon – first try at whale-watching! Small boat with three big outboard engines and about 15 passengers. A fast transit out to sea as we asked how often his groups see whales. “We always see whales” seemed a little brash but he was right! Sightings of two different groups of humpbacks was just magical. They are so BIG – think the size of a school bus. We learned to watch for the “blow” as the whales surface and the final tails-up before they dive deep. Just terrific.
So much fun that I’m doing it again tomorrow – from Juneau
journeys 