Icy Strait
Sea otters love Icy Strait, and with good reason. They like an open-ocean influence, and the rich kelp forests that are usually found near the outer coast. Moreover, the strong tidal currents that sway through the islands here stir the ocean to a level of fecundity that is impressive even in Southeast Alaska.
Otters were nearby as we dropped Zodiacs to explore the Inian Islands. They paddled, stereotypically, on their backs through the kelp fronds. Otters depend solely on fur for insulation, and much of their charm derives from the engaging business of their assiduous preening. Some of us found otters that were even friskier than expected, and from all reports, new otters are on the way. “Otter love” reminds us that they are, in fact, giant weasels, with something of the frenetic savagery that’s the hallmark of the family. When enraptured by Venus, the males hold their beloved with a firm bite to the nose, and females are frequently scarred or bloody.
Otters, though charismatic, seem diminutive and retiring when compared to sea lions. The Inians are a favorite haul-out area for Steller sea lions, the largest of their tribe. And no wonder the ‘lions like it here. Hapless salmon, swept past by the tide, are easy prey. We found sea lions lolling about on the rocks, looking sleek and compact. Elsewhere, groups of juveniles floated in a tight band, no doubt taking comfort in shared proximity.
With puffins, otters meet their match in cuteness. We found two kinds of puffins near the Inians. Tufted puffins get their name from the extreme eyebrow plumes that curl down their necks. Horned puffins, far rarer, flew rapidly about our Zodiacs. And well they might. A puffin, already dead or wounded, was snatched from the water by a Peregrine falcon just a few yards from one of our boats!
While the Inian Islands seem to be the hot otter singles bar, Idaho Inlet is for members of the Lonely Hearts Club Band. Otters here are sub-dominant males, with little feminine company. Still, Idaho Inlet has its gustatory consolations, and most sea otters here were busily hunting clams. We saw otters by kayak. Pulling out from Shaw Island’s gravelly beach, we paddled through kelp canopies as we circumnavigated the island. Meanwhile, walkers explored a bit of Chichagof Island. Sea otters are strictly marine, but river otters are comfortable in fresh and salt water, and on the land. We found their tracks emerging from a small stream.
The forests here are laced with bear trails. We followed them as we viewed squirrel middens, club moss and corn lilies. Some also walked through Fox Creek, surrounded by the splashes of spawning salmon.
Home to an ark of interesting creatures, northern Southeast Alaska is fascinating to explore. By land or sea, Icy Strait is perhaps the Northwest Coast at its finest.
