Pavlof Harbor
Brown bear or grizzly. Ursa or oso. Bruin or beast. Whatever you may call them, the brown bear is one of the keystone species of the temperate rainforest of southeast Alaska. They feed on a variety of sources including grasses, barnacles, berries, and salmon. Today, it was all about feeding on salmon.
Our morning destination was Pavlof Harbor on Chichagof Island, which is the site of a salmon stream and gorgeous waterfall. Pink salmon are currently running, and the waterfall is a bottleneck for them; a perfect spot for brown bears to fish. An early scout boat spotted two sibling bears fishing together, and we quickly landed to approach the area both on foot and by kayak.
As we were arriving, another bear was spotted a good distance away, walking on the nearby beach. It had one destination in mind, to join the foray below the falls. The two siblings were busy wrestling, but they smelled the new comer, and kept a respectable distance from it. The stream was filled with plenty of salmon, so there was enough to fill all. We were able to witness all three bears catching salmon and gorging on the flesh.
After many of us had returned to the ship, another bear was spotted just above the falls. This bear was even larger, and following her were three cubs from this year. Many ooohs and aaahhs were exclaimed at the cuteness of the cubs, but the original three bears quickly realized that she was there, and decided it was time to head out. This also signaled time for us to get into one of the Zodiacs, from which we were able to view the mother fishing and bringing ashore large pink salmon for her hungry cubs to feast on.
Our morning spent amongst the brown bears and salmon was a perfect ending to our voyage here in southeast Alaska. We have traveled amongst pristine wilderness, seen massive calving glaciers, and amazing wildlife. We are all filled with fond memories of our week spent aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird, and look forward to future explorations.
Brown bear or grizzly. Ursa or oso. Bruin or beast. Whatever you may call them, the brown bear is one of the keystone species of the temperate rainforest of southeast Alaska. They feed on a variety of sources including grasses, barnacles, berries, and salmon. Today, it was all about feeding on salmon.
Our morning destination was Pavlof Harbor on Chichagof Island, which is the site of a salmon stream and gorgeous waterfall. Pink salmon are currently running, and the waterfall is a bottleneck for them; a perfect spot for brown bears to fish. An early scout boat spotted two sibling bears fishing together, and we quickly landed to approach the area both on foot and by kayak.
As we were arriving, another bear was spotted a good distance away, walking on the nearby beach. It had one destination in mind, to join the foray below the falls. The two siblings were busy wrestling, but they smelled the new comer, and kept a respectable distance from it. The stream was filled with plenty of salmon, so there was enough to fill all. We were able to witness all three bears catching salmon and gorging on the flesh.
After many of us had returned to the ship, another bear was spotted just above the falls. This bear was even larger, and following her were three cubs from this year. Many ooohs and aaahhs were exclaimed at the cuteness of the cubs, but the original three bears quickly realized that she was there, and decided it was time to head out. This also signaled time for us to get into one of the Zodiacs, from which we were able to view the mother fishing and bringing ashore large pink salmon for her hungry cubs to feast on.
Our morning spent amongst the brown bears and salmon was a perfect ending to our voyage here in southeast Alaska. We have traveled amongst pristine wilderness, seen massive calving glaciers, and amazing wildlife. We are all filled with fond memories of our week spent aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird, and look forward to future explorations.
