Chichagof Island & Chatham Strait
With its old-growth temperate rainforest and abundant salmon streams, Southeast Alaska is home to a very healthy population of coastal brown bears. To the surprise of many of our guests, these large omnivores emerge from their winter sleep and move down to the coastal meadows to graze on fibrous, nutrient-rich beach grasses. After long months of inactivity, this proves to be the perfect spring tonic.
Although we’ve been privileged to see many grazing bears, until today all of them were from the comfort of our little ship. The morning was a little blustery, but that didn’t stop us from donning our boots, and going ashore on Chichagof Island for some more hiking and kayaking. The first group of hikers set off down the beach, and just a few minutes into the hike, the call came over the radio that a mother brown bear and her cub were grazing in the meadow on the opposite side of the creek. Each group stopped to watch them for a few minutes, then continued along the shore and into the forest to reach a lovely waterfall. Kayakers paddled into the mouth of the creek for the water-level view of these two gorgeous animals.
The long hikers spent most of the morning hiking along the creek and around the margin of the lake to reach a lovely hillside meadow. Moderate hikers climbed up through the forest to the ridge top, and descended again to the sedge meadow along the lake margin. Leisurely hikers meandered to the base of the waterfall, and investigated the old concrete fish ladder beside it. Wildflowers and loons, a beaver lodge and sea stars stranded by the low tide were some of the highlights.
Late in the morning, after the second round of hikes and kayaking had begun, a radio call came from the ship to let us know that an adolescent brown bear was walking down the beach towards our landing. Kayakers on the water enjoyed some great views, while the hikers continued along the trail, in the opposite direction. Then things got even more interesting… Over the course of the next hour, this rangy bear had us scrambling. It ambled over to our landing and proceeded to sniff around, and then roll all over our pile of lifejackets, before plodding down the beach to graze on some more grass! Radio chatter continued, as we moved our kayak landing and Zodiac pick-up location to a beach farther from this curious bear. All hikers and kayakers were called back to the landing and quickly loaded into waiting Zodiacs, sans lifejackets, while staff and crew gathered our gear. As the last boat pulled away from shore, we watched this completely unperturbed animal walk slowly towards where we’d been moments before, and nonchalantly chomp a large mouthful of grass.
Laughing and chatting animatedly, we returned to the ship to find one of our Zodiacs practically awash in puffy, orange lifejackets. It was such a perfect symbol of how quickly even the best laid plans can change when in the wilds of Southeast Alaska!
With its old-growth temperate rainforest and abundant salmon streams, Southeast Alaska is home to a very healthy population of coastal brown bears. To the surprise of many of our guests, these large omnivores emerge from their winter sleep and move down to the coastal meadows to graze on fibrous, nutrient-rich beach grasses. After long months of inactivity, this proves to be the perfect spring tonic.
Although we’ve been privileged to see many grazing bears, until today all of them were from the comfort of our little ship. The morning was a little blustery, but that didn’t stop us from donning our boots, and going ashore on Chichagof Island for some more hiking and kayaking. The first group of hikers set off down the beach, and just a few minutes into the hike, the call came over the radio that a mother brown bear and her cub were grazing in the meadow on the opposite side of the creek. Each group stopped to watch them for a few minutes, then continued along the shore and into the forest to reach a lovely waterfall. Kayakers paddled into the mouth of the creek for the water-level view of these two gorgeous animals.
The long hikers spent most of the morning hiking along the creek and around the margin of the lake to reach a lovely hillside meadow. Moderate hikers climbed up through the forest to the ridge top, and descended again to the sedge meadow along the lake margin. Leisurely hikers meandered to the base of the waterfall, and investigated the old concrete fish ladder beside it. Wildflowers and loons, a beaver lodge and sea stars stranded by the low tide were some of the highlights.
Late in the morning, after the second round of hikes and kayaking had begun, a radio call came from the ship to let us know that an adolescent brown bear was walking down the beach towards our landing. Kayakers on the water enjoyed some great views, while the hikers continued along the trail, in the opposite direction. Then things got even more interesting… Over the course of the next hour, this rangy bear had us scrambling. It ambled over to our landing and proceeded to sniff around, and then roll all over our pile of lifejackets, before plodding down the beach to graze on some more grass! Radio chatter continued, as we moved our kayak landing and Zodiac pick-up location to a beach farther from this curious bear. All hikers and kayakers were called back to the landing and quickly loaded into waiting Zodiacs, sans lifejackets, while staff and crew gathered our gear. As the last boat pulled away from shore, we watched this completely unperturbed animal walk slowly towards where we’d been moments before, and nonchalantly chomp a large mouthful of grass.
Laughing and chatting animatedly, we returned to the ship to find one of our Zodiacs practically awash in puffy, orange lifejackets. It was such a perfect symbol of how quickly even the best laid plans can change when in the wilds of Southeast Alaska!
