Alaska Part 6: Ketchikan and cruise to Vancouver

(You do not have to view these in order, but if you would like to: Under Blog Archive to the right, click on the black triangle to the left of  October and July, 2014, to get the first 3 posts [Yes, I know, it took me way too long to get these done] and click on the appropriate post to peruse). 
Ketchikan was the last stop on our cruise. It is about 150 miles SE of Juneau, has a population of just over 8,000 and appears to to the last town down the panhandle of Alaska before you get into Canada.
We didn't do much; just wandered around for a couple of hours, had lunch and went back to the ship.
The last day of the cruise was at sea.  It is about 550 miles to Vancouver from Ketchikan.  As you will see below, there was a little action on the high seas. Our ship received a distress signal and had to back track to help.  A crew member on a fishing boat apparently had a heart attack and needed immediate medical attention.  It took about a half hour to reach them.  Once there, we sent a medical team to the fishing boat.  A short time later, the Canadian Coast Guard came and airlifted the crew member to shore.
We didn't have a chance to stay in Vancouver.  We had just enough time to get to the airport for our flight home. It was a good cruise !!

A glacier on the mainland after leaving Juneau.

The narrow inlet were Ketchukan is located (coming up on the left). 

Main downtown area.

Just north of downtown.

A small creek running through part of the downtown area. 

Back to sea: next stop is Vancouver. 

The only whales we got to see.  Have no idea what kind they are.

As I mentioned above; adventure on the high seas.  You can just see the cruise ships tender approaching the tugboat. The fishing boat is too small to see; it is on the other side of the tug..

Two members of the Canadian Coast Guard parachuted to the fishing boat.

A close up just before they reached the boat.

The helicopter raising the crew member.

  The last sunset on the cruise.

  Downtown Vancouver.
 

  North Vancouver across Vancouver Harbor.

When I first saw this, I thought it was another cruise ship, but it is the terminal building.

The Vancouver airport and the end of our journey !