Deep breath! The water around you is freezing, but you plunge in it, swim in it, play in it, roll in it—you just have to because this is Alaska! Whether you are an orca or a human! We woke at 6 a.m. today to several orcas (killer whales) nearby as we traveled south in Chatham Strait. Surfacing in the distance often to take deep breaths, the orcas teased us with a dorsal fin here and there as the few early risers on the ship had flocked to the bow in their pajamas in the early hour. But by around 7:30 a.m., we saw the most tremendous orca spectacle our naturalists had observed in Chatham Strait in no less than 25 years! Babies, mamas, and papa orcas were within just a few feet of us at times, breaching, riding our bow wake, surprisingly emerging next to us with loud breaths and then flopping to one side and slapping their fins and flukes. Best show on Earth!
About 15 of us were inspired by the orcas and took the plunge into the chilly Inside Passage, this time in the shadow of the beautiful Kasnyku waterfall. Laughing, and screaming, and cannonballing, and back-flipping we took to Alaska in a grand orca style, albeit for just some 30 seconds! Maybe we could now be honorary “sourdoughs,” the name given for toughened up Alaskan usually after several winters up here! But we simply high-fived each other and quickly headed to warm showers and some hot chocolate.
Our appreciation of the landscapes, wildlife, and generally life in Southeast Alaska were continuously expanded by both the great stories of Andy Szabo, Director of the Alaska Whale Foundation, and those of our own naturalist Melanie Heacox, an Alaskan veteran and naturalist of over 30 years. While Andy recounted the amazing research his group is conducting on whale behavior in Southeast Alaska (did you know humpback whales could live up to 100 years and that it is always the same populations that come back to this part of the world year after year?), Melanie inspired us about life in Alaska and specifically all the unique magic of Southeast.
A truly inspiring day of wildlife viewing and stories! Even some migrating salmon at Lake Eva! Up here in Alaska, we say there are salmon in the trees. Salmon migrations nourish bears, eagles, and even the soils underneath the trees, giving life to these coastal forests. It is no wonder these areas are protected and revered and why many parts of Alaska, including Southeast, have shifted from extraction (of resources) to attraction!
