When visiting Juneau, try to include a visit to see our local celebrities - the humpback whales! I recently toured Alaska Travel Adventures' Whale Watching Adventure and Salmon Bake, and I was blown away with the sights and sounds of our very own backyard. I even went home with a full belly after the trip's all-you-can-eat salmon feast. Yummy!

I've been on many whale watching excursions in Southeast Alaska, but this one was unique. On board, we had folks from the Seattle television show, Evening Magazine. Their crew was here to showcase Juneau, and I even had the delightful opportunity to sit down on camera with Emmy award winner and Evening Magazine host, Meegan Black! Unfortunately, my interview was cut in the editing room, but I still had a blast bragging on camera about Juneau. At the end of this blog, you can see the footage from our trip, which originally aired in Seattle. Watch closely - you just might see a familiar face, too!

There are plenty of sights and sounds on the waters of the Inside Passage. You're bound to see bald eagles, fishermen, lighthouses, and if you're lucky, Dall's porpoises racing small boats.

Sea lions can generally be found taking a snooze on this gigantic red and green buoy near Auke Bay, Alaska.

The cameraman from Seattle's "Evening Magazine" films the occupied buoy.

Did you know whales can be identified by the unique black and white pattern on the underside of their flukes? There's even an online catalog identifying many of the whales that frequent Southeast Alaska. The Fluke ID Catalog contains images of almost 1,900 different humpback whales. Check it out - maybe you'll even find in the catalog one of the whales below!

Our boat passed by a noisy, albeit entertaining, sea lion haul-out.

Auke Bay is the starting and ending point for most whale watching cruises in Juneau. It's also homeport to the United States Coast Guard Cutter Liberty.