Day 49 – Moored in Sitka

Today is our sightseeing day! We set out late morning to visit our first stop “Fortress of the Bears” which is a private bear rescue facility. They currently have 4 grizzly bears and 3 black bears. Apparently, in Alaska, the Fish & Game guys just kill cubs when the mother is shot or killed and the cubs are orphaned. There is currently no state program to rescue these cubs because once they do, they can’t release them back in the wild as they have been habituated to humans and it is dangerous for both bear and human. The state doesn’t even have a program to place them in zoos or other facilities around the world, it’s easier to just kill them. So this local guy decided to do something about it and converted an old waste water treatment facility to a captive bear habitat. The bears there seem happy as can be expected in captivity and we really enjoyed watching them. Next stop, the Alaska Raptor Center where we saw all kinds of raptors, mostly eagles, some of which will be permanent residents due to their injuries, and others that will be rehabbed and released when they are ready. The facility for the birds that will get to be back in the wild simulates the environment they would face outside and gives them the ability to learn to fly again after an injury. The ones that are permanent residents have issues like one is neurologically damaged…she just flies in circles and flips over when she tries to fly. She was hit by a car. Another permanent eagle lost part of his wing and won’t ever recover. There’s a red tailed hawk that they just can’t trust in public because he has imprinted with humans, so instead of hunting field mice he’s more likely to swoop down on a kid eating a hotdog and try to take the hotdog, so he’s become a public nuisance of sorts. Anyway, it was pretty impressive. Next stop was the Sheldon Jackson Museum which has the largest collection of native Alaskan artifacts in the world. After that we wandered the shops and galleries in downtown Sitka. Dinner tonight was at Ludvig’s Wine Bar and it was outstanding. Ludvig’s Restaurant has a stellar reputation but has only 7 tables so reservations are super hard to get, and we were too late to that party. BUT…the good news is they have a wine bar upstairs that serves tapas and wine and no reservations are required. We had one of the best meals we’ve had on this trip, and we can’t wait to go back next weekend when we’re back in Sitka.