Red Bluff Bay/ Yasha Island/ Chatham Strait/ Kelp Bay – ashore
Slightly after 6:00am, the Sea Lion began her approach to Red Bluff Bay. Located on Baranof Island, the large reddish bluff at the entrance to the bay, along with several surrounding islands are part of the Chugach terrain an ancient geologic fault line that runs through Chatham Strait. This terrane is made up of accreted sea floor scrapings that were laid down approximately 65 million years ago. Red Bluff is thought to have formed when iron- and magnesium-rich minerals crystallized along the feeder vents to now-eroded volcanoes. Those minerals give the reddish color we are seeing early this morning and this mineral composition also creates an environment that prevents much plant growth.
Inside the bay, Captain Carden maneuvered the Sea Lion to within just a few feet of the front of a waterfall giving everyone a wonderful up close and personal look at early spring runoff cascading into Red Bluff bay. During our close approach, the natural history staff spotted a water ouzel hovering around the waterfall. These small birds make a living by spreading their wings and allowing the water of the falls to push them under water where they feed on small aquatic larvae. When they need to come to the surface they pull in their wings and pop up, take in air and make their way to their heavy moss nests located behind the waterfall. Watching the ouzel and its very unusual use of a small part of the temperate rainforest’s ecosystem was fascinating. Turning our sight and hearing to the visual and auditory feasts of this quiet bay, bald eagles sat in the trees, harlequin ducks flew across the bow, a varied thrush sang a long single note, while the tiny winter wren serenaded us, using a voice of more than a hundred notes.
During breakfast, the Sea Lion made her way back out through the narrow entrance to Red Bluff bay heading northeast into Chatham Strait. The heavy north west wind buffeted the bow as we made our way towards Yasha Island, where the growling of steller sea lions carried on the wind, as we made a slow approach. After a short time braving the cold winds, the Sea Lion reentered the mixed waters and currents where Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait meet and began her passage to our afternoon destination.
After lunch, we anchored inside Kelp Bay located at the north end of Baranof Island. With a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, old-growth forest and meadows leading to the sea, our afternoon activities were laid out. As Zodiacs were being loaded, two Brown bears were spotted in the meadow, their coats deep and shiny brown in the afternoon light! Several hikes were offered for the afternoon, along with a finale of kayaking through streams at the back of the bay. Hikers were brought ashore and headed out towards a forest just on the other side of several small streams and thickets of Sitka alder and Salmon berry. Following bear trails that led into the old-growth, we found ourselves immersed in a multi-layered display of a northern temperate rainforest. The diversity and age of trees, a myriad of bird sounds, and the delicious smell of springs new growth greeted us at every turn. As the sun moved west slowly towards sunset, shadows began to form on the snow covered mountains and glistened on the water of Kelp Bay. Our day was ending with a classic Southeastern Alaska scene, something many of us had traveled thousands of miles to see and hold for that moment as a treasure.
Slightly after 6:00am, the Sea Lion began her approach to Red Bluff Bay. Located on Baranof Island, the large reddish bluff at the entrance to the bay, along with several surrounding islands are part of the Chugach terrain an ancient geologic fault line that runs through Chatham Strait. This terrane is made up of accreted sea floor scrapings that were laid down approximately 65 million years ago. Red Bluff is thought to have formed when iron- and magnesium-rich minerals crystallized along the feeder vents to now-eroded volcanoes. Those minerals give the reddish color we are seeing early this morning and this mineral composition also creates an environment that prevents much plant growth.
Inside the bay, Captain Carden maneuvered the Sea Lion to within just a few feet of the front of a waterfall giving everyone a wonderful up close and personal look at early spring runoff cascading into Red Bluff bay. During our close approach, the natural history staff spotted a water ouzel hovering around the waterfall. These small birds make a living by spreading their wings and allowing the water of the falls to push them under water where they feed on small aquatic larvae. When they need to come to the surface they pull in their wings and pop up, take in air and make their way to their heavy moss nests located behind the waterfall. Watching the ouzel and its very unusual use of a small part of the temperate rainforest’s ecosystem was fascinating. Turning our sight and hearing to the visual and auditory feasts of this quiet bay, bald eagles sat in the trees, harlequin ducks flew across the bow, a varied thrush sang a long single note, while the tiny winter wren serenaded us, using a voice of more than a hundred notes.
During breakfast, the Sea Lion made her way back out through the narrow entrance to Red Bluff bay heading northeast into Chatham Strait. The heavy north west wind buffeted the bow as we made our way towards Yasha Island, where the growling of steller sea lions carried on the wind, as we made a slow approach. After a short time braving the cold winds, the Sea Lion reentered the mixed waters and currents where Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait meet and began her passage to our afternoon destination.
After lunch, we anchored inside Kelp Bay located at the north end of Baranof Island. With a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, old-growth forest and meadows leading to the sea, our afternoon activities were laid out. As Zodiacs were being loaded, two Brown bears were spotted in the meadow, their coats deep and shiny brown in the afternoon light! Several hikes were offered for the afternoon, along with a finale of kayaking through streams at the back of the bay. Hikers were brought ashore and headed out towards a forest just on the other side of several small streams and thickets of Sitka alder and Salmon berry. Following bear trails that led into the old-growth, we found ourselves immersed in a multi-layered display of a northern temperate rainforest. The diversity and age of trees, a myriad of bird sounds, and the delicious smell of springs new growth greeted us at every turn. As the sun moved west slowly towards sunset, shadows began to form on the snow covered mountains and glistened on the water of Kelp Bay. Our day was ending with a classic Southeastern Alaska scene, something many of us had traveled thousands of miles to see and hold for that moment as a treasure.
