Iyoukeen Cove, Pavlof Harbor and Hood Bay
Whales and salmon and bears, oh my—what a day! Early this morning, we swung into Iyoukeen Cove in hopes of finding some giant herring eaters at work; they were and we were blessed with our second incredible sighting of cooperative feeding humpback whales this week. Birgit Buhleier, our National Geographic expert, recognized the passionate vocalizations of a whale called ‘Scratch’ as we played the feeding call over our hydrophone. Standing out on deck and listening to the intense and mournful sounds created a profound connection between us and these magnificent mammals.
Nearby Pavlof Harbor hosted a number of purse seiners anchored up and awaiting an opening to fish for pink salmon. Those strong and acrobatic fish were leaping out of the water everywhere we looked as their spawning season is in full swing. As the hikers set off of for the falls and beyond, a young coastal brown bear fished near the waterfall. Many of us were able to enjoy watching the bear working to grab a salmon. Catching fish is life-and-death to the bears as they must have enough fat to make it through the winter and about 70% of their nutrient intake comes from salmon.
Parts and pieces of fresh bear-caught pink salmon were strewn along the trails near the waterfall. Perfect brown bear tracks crossed every muddy patch and there were numerous places where the roots of plants had been dug up and consumed. We moved up through the great temperate rainforest conifers into a meadow at the lake and through the bog admiring the last of the season’s wildflowers. Low clouds draping the mountains of Chichigof Island completed this quintessential Southeast Alaskan scene.
