Admiralty Island & Baranof Island
Early morning found the Sea Lion cruising in Eliza Harbor on the southern part of Admiralty Island. Our ship was making a slow turn into this deep harbor searching for Brown bears. The water in this protected harbor was as smooth as glass. The only ripples were being made by Marbled murrelets as they dove into the water, escaping the large white ship entering their quiet waterway. The steep shorelines were covered in Sitka spruce and Western hemlock…..and these trees were in turn, blanketed, in heavy mist. As we moved slowly towards the end of this inlet, we watched the shorelines, seeing the perfectly mirrored reflections of rocks and several species of seaweed. From the bow of the Sea Lion our imaginations carried us to the many collected stories that make up the origin myths of the Northwest Coast native people. We looked for the Wild Woman of the Forest at the edge of the forest; while watching for the Thunderbird to possibly fly from the steepest hills shrouded in mists; looking out over the water we waited for the sisuil a doubled-headed sea monster to peer up at us from the water's surface! It was a morning of water patterns, unusual light playing tricks on our eyes as we wove individual stories around the mysteries of Eliza Harbor. And, all of this before breakfast! As we made our way down to the dining room for the first meal of the day, the Sea Lion began a slow pass out of Eliza Harbor. All in all, stories were told, mysterious shapes explained, four Brown bears along with a Sitka black-tailed deer were sighted this early morning!
The Sea Lion headed out into Frederick Sound, wandering aimlessly with intent. We were searching for Humpback whales in hopes of closer looks. In a very short period of time our wishes were granted, and we began to move into the company of large baleen whales. The sun had burned away the fog and mist and in the sunny patterns on the water we watched as three Humpback whales rose to the surface just forty feet off the bow!!! These whales stayed long enough for us to watch several blows and three magnificent flukes descend into Frederick Sound, as if dragged into the sea by that trickster the Raven, a figure who plays so many different roles in the myths of the Northwest Coast.
As the fog moved in around the Sea Lion, we moved off the bow and into the forward lounge to continue our presentation series with a talk about forest ecology in Southeast Alaska. During the talk, we could hear the fog horn on the bow, warning of our presence as we made our way towards our next destination of Kasnyku falls, a stunningly beautiful waterfall cascading at least one hundred feet into Frederick Sound. Soon lunch was called, and as we adjourned to the dining room, the Sea Lion made her way towards our afternoon anchorage at Lake Eva located on Baranof Island. We would spend the entire afternoon and evening hiking, kayaking and Zodiac cruising in around a small section of Baranof Island. Once Zodiacs were lowered we made our way to shore and began a varied series of hikes.
The sun poured through the trees, the birds were singing and as the first set of hikers rounded the last section of the forest closest to shore a Brown bear and her two cubs were sighted. She seemed undisturbed by our presence and continued her foraging keeping a watchful eye on her observers…. as we kept a watchful eye in return.Each group continued through the forest heading for a small stream that feeds out of Lake Eva. We passed a small set of cascades, then made our way past the falls and up to an eddy where the interconnected, complex world of the forest exploded before our eyes. In the trees we could hear Red-breasted sapsuckers, a Steller's jay, a Swainson's thrush, a Townsend's warbler and the most outragously plumed bird of all was a Three-toed woodpecker! All of these birds were feasting on the hatch of thousands of Caddis flies. As the flies left the surface of the water, drying their wings on the nearby shore and began to fly everything that could call a Caddis fly a tasty meal went into a feeding frenzy! The birds flew over the water, and then landed where the flies did and feasted. The trout in the river jumped for joy and their evening meal, and all around us the temperate rainforest's interrelated world was presented for our observant eyes, in sparkling late afternoon light. A feast for many residents of this forest, and a feast for our eyes!
Early morning found the Sea Lion cruising in Eliza Harbor on the southern part of Admiralty Island. Our ship was making a slow turn into this deep harbor searching for Brown bears. The water in this protected harbor was as smooth as glass. The only ripples were being made by Marbled murrelets as they dove into the water, escaping the large white ship entering their quiet waterway. The steep shorelines were covered in Sitka spruce and Western hemlock…..and these trees were in turn, blanketed, in heavy mist. As we moved slowly towards the end of this inlet, we watched the shorelines, seeing the perfectly mirrored reflections of rocks and several species of seaweed. From the bow of the Sea Lion our imaginations carried us to the many collected stories that make up the origin myths of the Northwest Coast native people. We looked for the Wild Woman of the Forest at the edge of the forest; while watching for the Thunderbird to possibly fly from the steepest hills shrouded in mists; looking out over the water we waited for the sisuil a doubled-headed sea monster to peer up at us from the water's surface! It was a morning of water patterns, unusual light playing tricks on our eyes as we wove individual stories around the mysteries of Eliza Harbor. And, all of this before breakfast! As we made our way down to the dining room for the first meal of the day, the Sea Lion began a slow pass out of Eliza Harbor. All in all, stories were told, mysterious shapes explained, four Brown bears along with a Sitka black-tailed deer were sighted this early morning!
The Sea Lion headed out into Frederick Sound, wandering aimlessly with intent. We were searching for Humpback whales in hopes of closer looks. In a very short period of time our wishes were granted, and we began to move into the company of large baleen whales. The sun had burned away the fog and mist and in the sunny patterns on the water we watched as three Humpback whales rose to the surface just forty feet off the bow!!! These whales stayed long enough for us to watch several blows and three magnificent flukes descend into Frederick Sound, as if dragged into the sea by that trickster the Raven, a figure who plays so many different roles in the myths of the Northwest Coast.
As the fog moved in around the Sea Lion, we moved off the bow and into the forward lounge to continue our presentation series with a talk about forest ecology in Southeast Alaska. During the talk, we could hear the fog horn on the bow, warning of our presence as we made our way towards our next destination of Kasnyku falls, a stunningly beautiful waterfall cascading at least one hundred feet into Frederick Sound. Soon lunch was called, and as we adjourned to the dining room, the Sea Lion made her way towards our afternoon anchorage at Lake Eva located on Baranof Island. We would spend the entire afternoon and evening hiking, kayaking and Zodiac cruising in around a small section of Baranof Island. Once Zodiacs were lowered we made our way to shore and began a varied series of hikes.
The sun poured through the trees, the birds were singing and as the first set of hikers rounded the last section of the forest closest to shore a Brown bear and her two cubs were sighted. She seemed undisturbed by our presence and continued her foraging keeping a watchful eye on her observers…. as we kept a watchful eye in return.Each group continued through the forest heading for a small stream that feeds out of Lake Eva. We passed a small set of cascades, then made our way past the falls and up to an eddy where the interconnected, complex world of the forest exploded before our eyes. In the trees we could hear Red-breasted sapsuckers, a Steller's jay, a Swainson's thrush, a Townsend's warbler and the most outragously plumed bird of all was a Three-toed woodpecker! All of these birds were feasting on the hatch of thousands of Caddis flies. As the flies left the surface of the water, drying their wings on the nearby shore and began to fly everything that could call a Caddis fly a tasty meal went into a feeding frenzy! The birds flew over the water, and then landed where the flies did and feasted. The trout in the river jumped for joy and their evening meal, and all around us the temperate rainforest's interrelated world was presented for our observant eyes, in sparkling late afternoon light. A feast for many residents of this forest, and a feast for our eyes!
