As soon as we found out we were moving to Alaska we knew we wanted to see whales while we were there. Since we took the ferry up there we were hoping we’d see whales then, but to no avail. We lived in Fairbanks so seeing whales was not going to happen there (it’s up in the interior of Alaska), and the few times we went down to Anchorage or drove along the Seward Highway we’d hope we see some just hanging out near the coast. Luck was not on our side though, so when we found out we had to leave Alaska we just had to have that bucket list item fulfilled. Thankfully I found the Orca Quest Cruise with Major Marine Tours in Seward; unlike normal boat tours that follow a set route the Orca Quest went to where the whales are so you’re pretty much guaranteed a sighting (as opposed to the typical tour where you just see one if you’re lucky enough that a whale decides to be in that area). We saw a humpback whale right in the bay, but had to go a little further out into more open water to find the orca pod. But we found them! It was amazing (seasickness and all) and we were so happy that dream came true. Seeing the whales, combined with the gorgeous scenery and a glacier, made for a memorable afternoon. I took my Mamiya C330 along and captured these shots of the day on Kodak Portra 400 and Ilford HP5.