Kelp Bay & Lake Eva, Baranof Island
Sea kayaking is one of the best ways to explore the natural wonders of Southeast Alaska. So it was no surprise when twenty guests jumped at the chance to start their day by kayaking the south arm of Kelp Bay on the northeast corner of Baranof Island. We were dropped off at the mouth of the arm and spent several hours paddling to the beach at the head of the bay where others from the boat were enjoying the low tide on foot.
As kayaks quietly sliced through the water, animals of all kinds were less wary providing us with an up-close and personal experience from the seat of our own private floating observation deck. Today, that exploration was magnified by an especially low tide which exposed several intertidal zones expressed by a light green algae topped by brownish-green rockweed hanging off the walls of the fjord.
Bald eagles were out in force today with 10 counted by one of the intrepid kayakers. Diving marbled murrelets and a couple of dueling belted kingfishers rounded out the morning bird observations.
We got back to the boat just in time for a brown bear to tease us with his ghost-like presence in the grassflats at the head of the bay, but he was a shy bear who didn’t want to show himself. So the guests were very keen on seeing another bear. After a hearty lunch we crossed our fingers and went ashore at Hanus Bay, still on Baranof Island, and hiked up the creek to Lake Eva. The creek was stocked full of pink salmon all milling about waiting for that spawning urge.
Pink salmon are Alaska’s most abundant Pacific salmon, heading out to the ocean right after they emerge from eggs in springtime and returning after two years to make the next generation of fish and provide food for bears and the forest. So we felt confident that these salmon would bring us that one last look at a brown bear. Sure enough, over the radio came the call…”bear just above the falls.” Short, medium and long hikers all got a good look before she vanished back into the forest.
Back on the boat, hot chocolate and king crab claws welcomed us to our last evening on board where navigation certificates were given to our younger guests for exhibiting excellent seamanship aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. These same young mariners later entertained the guests with an after-dinner talent show that closed out this wonderful week in the Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska.
