Mitkof Island, Southeast Alaska
Alyeska, a native Aleut word meaning “The Great Land” has kept her grandeur over time. Alaska is still dominated by towering granite walls, dense green forest, water in all of its forms, and majestic glaciers, as it was thousand of years ago.
Much of Alaska’s breathtaking beauty can be credited to its seasons. In any one day, sunlight can be scarce, crisp air can turn decidedly frosty, and wind can howl in the fjords of Southeast. Alaska is a wild place. Wild life is abundant in the mountains, streams, and protected waters.
The forty-ninth state has over three million lakes, three thousand rivers and thirty-four thousand miles of coastline. Alaska is one of the most bountiful fishing regions in the world, producing stocks known for their abundance and variety. Among them, five species of salmon, three types of crab, and a few varieties of whitefish.
Ideal Cove gave us an intimate look at a temperate rainforest as we hiked on the boardwalk along the stream and kayaked the edge at low tide. Moose prints, woodpeckers storing food, a bald eagle in flight, Canada geese flying in formation over head, and a warbler in the meadow were highlights in Ideal.
Petersburg, a town with Norwegian roots, offers access to a special hike on another boardwalk, across a bog. Muskeg is a unique environment hosting one of Alaska’s only carnivorous plants, a round leaf sundew. A working fishing fleet uses the docks on one edge of town. An adult bull Steller sea lion too was fishing and eating halibut inside the harbor. Today everyone was enjoying that the sun was shining, blue sky was beckoning, and crisp air was in abundance.
Alaska Whale Foundation’s founder, Dr. Fred Sharpe gave a presentation explaining the cooperative bubble-net feeding strategy that many humpback whales use in Southeast. We are anticipating watching humpback whales in the next few days at the surface. Fred showed rare underwater footage taken with a critter-cam, developed by National Geographic, which has provided the first looks at how humpback whales orchestrate this complex behavior in the food-rich waters.
Dr. John McCosker, our own guest lecturer from the California Academy of Sciences, onboard the National Geographic Sea Bird, educated us about the importance of including sustainable seafood practices in our lives. Fresh seafood is simply good for us and good for our planet.
A single killer whale followed a current line, surfacing every few minutes on a slow swim. The distinct dorsal fin approximately five feet in height and slightly curved to the right are field signs of an adult male. Our Captain positioned the ship for viewing in the perfect light. Tall misty blows of a humpback whale interrupted the watery edge in the shadows where the shoreline meets the sea.
Here on the National Geographic Sea Bird, we are exploring this “great land” with friends old and new, on trails, in kayaks, through binoculars, and with all of our senses. This expedition is filled with privilege and timeless beauty that we commit to preserve and protect for future generations.
Tonight, we break fresh bread together, crack Dungeness crab, and nibble tender ribs, with the great bear constellation watching down from above.
