Hood Bay And Hanus Bay, Southeast Alaska
Had we seen it all? By no means! To explore and appreciate the thousands of miles of straits, canals, bays, passages, channels, arms, inlets and estuaries that make up the southeast Alaska "Panhandle", we would need months…much longer than the seven exciting days that we had enjoyed together so far. Would we be back some day to see more of it? You bet we would! We would be leaving Sea Lion tomorrow, having done our best to learn at least a few of the natural secrets of tidal waterways and the temperate rainforests that surround them. Today would be a day of slow cruising and quiet observation, from the decks of our ship and from the rubbery comfort of our Zodiacs.
It was early morning when we entered Hood Bay on the west side of Admiralty Island. Admiralty is thought to support the highest density of coastal brown (grizzly) bears in all of Alaska. It did not take long for us to find the first one. At the high tide line, along the tall, green beach ryegrass that characterizes these shorelines, a large bear decided it was time for a snooze. We slipped toward shore in silence and focussed our spotting scopes. Unaware or unconcerned with our presence, the bear glanced up only occasionally, preferring to rest its broad head on its forelegs. A school of pink salmon, leaping at the mouth of a small creek nearby, told us the story. The bear had probably feasted on fish through the night and now was enjoying that period of warmth and relaxation that even we feel after a big meal.
The tide was low. Our Zodiac cruisers had the option of stepping out among the rich and colourful intertidal life - sea stars, anemones, tube worms, limpets, chitons - most were hidden among the dense blades and stipes of fast-growing marine algae. A mink scrambled across the beach and into the security of rocks and vegetation. Many Bald Eagles fed on salmon on the creek banks or scanned as sentinels from the tall trees.
Those of us on the ship's deck searched the shoreline, spotting a doe Black-tailed Deer with twin fawns, and tree more deer, including a young buck. By now all of us were experts at identifying the murrelets, gulls and ducks that frequent these waters.
Dr. Fred Sharp and his colleagues joined our ship in the morning. For the past 16 years, Dr. Sharp has been studying Humpback Whales here. His slide presentation answered many of the questions that we had about these fantastic creatures. Some of the complex social behaviours of the Alaska humpbacks are just now beginning to be understood. Food types and abundance are not uniform in the waters of this area. As a result, foraging patterns and social interactions appear to differ between some major bodies of water. Certain groups may be feeding heavily on herring, while others are feeding more on krill. Young humpbacks stay with their mothers usually for a year or less. They then disperse, perhaps to repopulate portions of the coast from which the species was extirpated by the relentless whaling efforts of the past.
Hiking and kayaking were our options for the afternoon. The clear river that drains beautiful Lake Eva on Baranof Island was running high after the rains of the past few days. Large numbers of Pink Salmon and a few Chums had migrated into the stream very recently. Most were still showing the bright, silvery sides of ocean-dwelling fish. They would rest and "ripen" here for a few days, putting most of their body nutrients and latent energy into egg or sperm development. Their bodies would darken and begin to show tissue loss as they fought for their own small territory in the best sections of the stream. Within a week or two, "redds" would be excavated and spawning would occur, after which each fish would die. Bears and eagles were assembling for the annual feast. An astonishing amount of rich protein and fat is gathered from the North Pacific Ocean by these "anadromous" fish.
A warm shower, Happy Hour and another fine supper would prepare us for our homeward departure the next morning, each of us knowing full well that we had witnessed Nature at its finest.
Had we seen it all? By no means! To explore and appreciate the thousands of miles of straits, canals, bays, passages, channels, arms, inlets and estuaries that make up the southeast Alaska "Panhandle", we would need months…much longer than the seven exciting days that we had enjoyed together so far. Would we be back some day to see more of it? You bet we would! We would be leaving Sea Lion tomorrow, having done our best to learn at least a few of the natural secrets of tidal waterways and the temperate rainforests that surround them. Today would be a day of slow cruising and quiet observation, from the decks of our ship and from the rubbery comfort of our Zodiacs.
It was early morning when we entered Hood Bay on the west side of Admiralty Island. Admiralty is thought to support the highest density of coastal brown (grizzly) bears in all of Alaska. It did not take long for us to find the first one. At the high tide line, along the tall, green beach ryegrass that characterizes these shorelines, a large bear decided it was time for a snooze. We slipped toward shore in silence and focussed our spotting scopes. Unaware or unconcerned with our presence, the bear glanced up only occasionally, preferring to rest its broad head on its forelegs. A school of pink salmon, leaping at the mouth of a small creek nearby, told us the story. The bear had probably feasted on fish through the night and now was enjoying that period of warmth and relaxation that even we feel after a big meal.
The tide was low. Our Zodiac cruisers had the option of stepping out among the rich and colourful intertidal life - sea stars, anemones, tube worms, limpets, chitons - most were hidden among the dense blades and stipes of fast-growing marine algae. A mink scrambled across the beach and into the security of rocks and vegetation. Many Bald Eagles fed on salmon on the creek banks or scanned as sentinels from the tall trees.
Those of us on the ship's deck searched the shoreline, spotting a doe Black-tailed Deer with twin fawns, and tree more deer, including a young buck. By now all of us were experts at identifying the murrelets, gulls and ducks that frequent these waters.
Dr. Fred Sharp and his colleagues joined our ship in the morning. For the past 16 years, Dr. Sharp has been studying Humpback Whales here. His slide presentation answered many of the questions that we had about these fantastic creatures. Some of the complex social behaviours of the Alaska humpbacks are just now beginning to be understood. Food types and abundance are not uniform in the waters of this area. As a result, foraging patterns and social interactions appear to differ between some major bodies of water. Certain groups may be feeding heavily on herring, while others are feeding more on krill. Young humpbacks stay with their mothers usually for a year or less. They then disperse, perhaps to repopulate portions of the coast from which the species was extirpated by the relentless whaling efforts of the past.
Hiking and kayaking were our options for the afternoon. The clear river that drains beautiful Lake Eva on Baranof Island was running high after the rains of the past few days. Large numbers of Pink Salmon and a few Chums had migrated into the stream very recently. Most were still showing the bright, silvery sides of ocean-dwelling fish. They would rest and "ripen" here for a few days, putting most of their body nutrients and latent energy into egg or sperm development. Their bodies would darken and begin to show tissue loss as they fought for their own small territory in the best sections of the stream. Within a week or two, "redds" would be excavated and spawning would occur, after which each fish would die. Bears and eagles were assembling for the annual feast. An astonishing amount of rich protein and fat is gathered from the North Pacific Ocean by these "anadromous" fish.
A warm shower, Happy Hour and another fine supper would prepare us for our homeward departure the next morning, each of us knowing full well that we had witnessed Nature at its finest.
