It was day four of our Alaskan Cruise and I sat luxuriating on our private balcony, drinking a glass of wine, and admiring the rugged beauty of the snow-capped mountains that lined the horizon.

Gazing over the railing , I mentally reviewed the wildlife we had been fortunate enough to spot so far: Noble bald eagles soaring with amazing grace, the black bear who wandered across our path during a drizzly ride to the Mendenhall Glacier and a  playful otter we spotted out for a swim in Sewards port. Abruptly my thoughts were interrupted. An orca spectacularly breached the ocean, propelling itself high into the air and then crashing back down with a tremendous splash.  It was so exciting!  We had been waiting to see a whale! It really made our trip complete! My husband came out and joined me on the balcony and we sat and watched the whale play. Amazing!

Photo credit:  Holland America