Ketchikan… The Deadliest Catch Crab Fishing Tour

ALEUTIAN BALLAD… THE DEADLIEST CATCH CRAB FISHING TOUR

If traveling northbound your first port of call will be Ketchikan. A small scenic town of 14,000 people and one of the rainiest North American cities averaging 160 inches per year. In the summer cruise season the temperature averages in the high sixties.

Today I find myself once again in Ketchikan, Alaska as I hurry down the gangway heading for one of my very favorite tours in Alaska, The Deadliest Catch Crab Fishing Tour.

aleutian ballad3_190 — Aleutian Ballad moored in Ketchikan, Alaska

The tour is given onboard the Aleutian Ballad of season two. It is probably most remembered as the boat the was hit broadside by a sixty foot rogue wave nearly capsizing the boat and throwing the crew into the frigid waters of the Bering Sea. However in it’s homeport of Ketchikan, Alaska this is not an issue as you are in the calm, protected waters just off the coast.

aleutian ballad1_190 — Aleutian Ballad outside Ketchikan, Alaska

Captain/owner Dave Lethin and his crew of merry misfits are “old salts” and extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. One thing that I have noticed over the years I have taken this tour is that everyone is treated like family including the guests.

aleutian ballad_dave1_190 — Captain/Owner of the Aleutian Ballad Dave Lethin

You will feel right at home sitting in comfortable chairs of the boats amphitheater style seating so everyone has a great view. During cold weather you are heated from above and also sheltered if you encounter any rain, after all this is Alaska. Another huge plus is that the tour is wheelchair accessible so everyone has a chance to enjoy this excursion.

aleutian ballad_dave2 copy — Captain Dave sharing his vast knowledge of the crab fishing industry

The Aleutian Ballad Crab Fishing Tour is very unique and is a hands on experience. You will be able to hold live crab, shrimp and other sea creatures after listening to the crew sharing their knowledge of the ocean and it’s inhabitants.

aleutian ballad_kid and crab1_190 — A young mans first encounter with a tanner crab

aleutian ballad_kid and crab2_190 — A young girls first encounter with a box crab

aleutian ballad_lady wheelchair1_190 — Wheelchair accessible enables everyone to get into the act. Here a guest views the custom designed Alaskan Red King Crab Tank

One of my favorite highlights is traveling to nearby Annette Island. Here 40-50 American Bald Eagles swarm out of the trees like mosquitos and diving only feet from the boat feeding on fish thrown into the water by the crew.

aleutian ballad_multiple eagles1_190 — Eagles on Annette Island waiting for the dinner bell to be rung

aleutian ballad_eagle1_190 — American Bald Eagle – Annette Island, Alaska

Many times I have heard guests say “I’ve seen eagles before we have them at home” and then those same people say, “I’ve never seen anything like this, ever”. It’s truly a once in a lifetime adventure not to be missed.

aleutian ballad_eagles fishing1_190 — Bald Eagles responding to the crew throwing herring into the water

aleutian ballad_eagles fishing4_190 — Bald Eagle zeros in on a herring

aleutian ballad_eagles fishing3_190 — Bald Eagle Scores

aleutian ballad_eagles soaring1 copy — Bald Eagle soaring above the Aleutian Ballad

They are going to tug on your heartstrings as well. You will hear stories of friends and family that have been lost at sea. One day I was in the wheelhouse and Terry Barkley one of the captains. Terry is usually a very gregarious man always with a joke on his the tip of his tongue. But on this day, at this moment he stopped short. His face grew solemn and his voice softened. He told me how his brother lost his life just a few months before working on another crab fishing vessel. After a few minutes of quiet reserve Terry once again was back to being a cheerful and telling tales of the sea he loves so well. Pushing the memory deep inside at least for now.

aleutian ballad_terry1 copy — Captain Terry Barkley in the wheelhouse of the Aleutian Ballad

I talk of this, as does Terry to the guests at times as a prelude to the Aleutian Ballad Crab Fisherman’s Memorial Fund. The fund was started to assist family members and proceeds of the fund are distributed to the families of those lost in the Bering Sea.

aleutian ballad_memorial2_190 — Captains Andy Pittard, Dave Lethin and Terry Barkley (left to right) haul in the Aleutian Ballad Crab Fisherman’s Memorial Fund Crab Pot

The crew will haul a crab fishing pot from the cold depths adorned with tags having the names of loved one written on them. Anyone can and is encouraged to do so in remembrance of a friend or family member that they have lost.

aleutian ballad_memorial1 copy — Captains Andy Pittard, Dave Lethin and Terry Barkley attach donation tags to the Aleutian Ballad Crab Fisherman’s Memorial Fund Crab Pot

I made a donation and wrote the name of my daughter-in-law, Stephanie Pannell that died the year before at the tender age of thirty-four. After the tags are tied onto the pot it is sent over the side back to Davey Jones. At the end of the season the tags are removed and sent to Oregon to be displayed on a wall at the memorial.

aleutian ballad_memorial3 copy — Donations tags on the Aleutian Ballad Crab Fisherman’s Memorial Fund Crab Pot

To join the crew of the Aleutian Ballad and experience this exciting adventure contact your ships shore excursion desk. You can also contact them directly by contacting Shauna Lee, Chief Operations Officer of the Aleutian Ballad at alaskacrabtour.com, email at shauna@56degreesnorth.com or call 888-239-3816.

aleutian ballad_shauna1 copy — Shauna Lee the Chief Operations Officer of the Aleutian Ballad

aleutian ballad_Danene1 copy — Danene Lethin “The Admiral” as she is affectionately known, the owner of the Aleutian Ballad holding an Alaskan Red King Crabs

aleutian ballad_andy_octopus copy — Captain Andy Pittard holding a red octopus

aleutian ballad_stephanie hall1 copy — Crew member Stephanie Hall with an arm full of tanner crabs

aleutian ballad_crystal1 copy — Crew member Crystal Henning mans the onboard ship store

If you have taken a tour on the Aleutian Ballad and would like a coffee table book of your trip or would like a more in depth look please note I have written of my experiences and photography taken while onboard. It is available through this blog site both in print and in eBook format.

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Next Stop…. Juneau Bear Viewing and Fly Fishing for Salmon, Grayling and Dolly Varden

bear family1 copy — Kodiak Family Lunch… Bear Creek Outfitters – Juneau, Alaska

Author: larry pannell

I started my career in photography as a professional photojournalist in 1979 at the time working with several newspapers and magazines in Southern California. What I loved most about photojournalism was its diversity and over my career I covered professional sports, concerts and travel. As life would have it mine took yet another turn and in 1988 I developed an interest in holistic medicine. I became a professional massage therapist specializing in sports medicine. In 1991 I decided to go to medical school and obtained a medical degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine and stared my career as a licensed acupuncture physician. After medical school I moved my practice to northern Idaho for a year before settling in the resort area of Sun Valley, Idaho. I’ve always been an outdoor person and hiking and backpacking the Rockies and fishing the pristine river waters and high altitude lakes offered me a wonderful photographic opportunity. In 2010 I left Sun Valley and I once again found myself on a cruise ship, this time working as an “Acupuncturist at Sea”. For the past seven years I have traveled to 85 countries, which has allowed me to photograph much of the world. View all posts by larry pannell