Pavlof Harbor—Chatham Strait
We had a “whale” of a day and now we can “bear-ly” contain our excitement about the wild beauty of Southeast Alaska. Before breakfast, we encountered a large group of humpback whales in Iyoukeen Cove, a small inlet off Chatham Strait. As we watched the whales feeding on herring, one whale breached horizontally directly in front of the National Geographic Sea Lion. It hurled its massive body almost completely out of the water. The gigantic splash that followed produced a loud concussion that echoed across the cove. Again and again, the humpback leaped from the water, providing us with an awesome display of the power and gracefulness of these large whales.
During breakfast, we traveled the short distance from Iyoukeen Cove to Pavlof Harbor. Here we planned to hike up a swiftly flowing salmon stream to Pavlof Lake. Many large brown bears live in this inlet and feast on the runs of salmon that annually return to Pavlof Creek. As we neared the falls, we suddenly caught sight of a large female bear and two young cubs climbing down the steep rocks by the thundering cataract. The mother bear quickly snatched a fish from the churning waters while the cubs scampered around on the shore. As we watched this amazing display of power and agility, a forth bear suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the stream. The sub-adult bear walked up the steam and began fishing as well. Many guests viewed the brown bears from the shore, while others had the chance to watch them from our kayaks. Eventually, the large female bear and cubs returned to the dark forest, but we continued to watch the sub-adult bear throughout the morning. We also adjusted our hiking plans and briefly explored a section of wild forest in the direction opposite the stream.
As we returned to the National Geographic Sea Lion for lunch, numerous humpback whales announced their presence in Pavlof Harbor with misty spouts. We watched as one whale breached dozens of times in the distance. The fascinating whale ballet entertained all the guests who witnessed it.
During lunch, we departed Pavlof Harbor and returned to Chatham Strait. In the afternoon, we sailed south down this large body of water that separates Admiralty Island from Chichagof and Baranof Islands. We continued to look for whales and other marine life in the dark waters and brown bears on the nearby beaches. We made a short detour to lovely Kasnyku Falls, a tall waterfall that tumbles down the steep hillside of Kasnyku Bay and pours into the narrow inlet. The deep waters of the bay, and the National Geographic Sea Lion’s shallow draft, allowed us to put the bow of the ship almost within touching distance of the falls. Later, we witnessed the rugged beauty of Warm Springs Bay. We paused by the small community of Baranof Hot Springs and watched another large waterfall churning the waters of the inlet. As the setting sun began to color the water with shades of pink and purple, the National Geographic Sea Lion briefly anchored in the sheltered cove. Surrounded by steep, forested cliffs, we reflected on our day of fun and excitement on land and water. Southeast Alaska had lived up to her reputation as a truly untamed wilderness.
We had a “whale” of a day and now we can “bear-ly” contain our excitement about the wild beauty of Southeast Alaska. Before breakfast, we encountered a large group of humpback whales in Iyoukeen Cove, a small inlet off Chatham Strait. As we watched the whales feeding on herring, one whale breached horizontally directly in front of the National Geographic Sea Lion. It hurled its massive body almost completely out of the water. The gigantic splash that followed produced a loud concussion that echoed across the cove. Again and again, the humpback leaped from the water, providing us with an awesome display of the power and gracefulness of these large whales.
During breakfast, we traveled the short distance from Iyoukeen Cove to Pavlof Harbor. Here we planned to hike up a swiftly flowing salmon stream to Pavlof Lake. Many large brown bears live in this inlet and feast on the runs of salmon that annually return to Pavlof Creek. As we neared the falls, we suddenly caught sight of a large female bear and two young cubs climbing down the steep rocks by the thundering cataract. The mother bear quickly snatched a fish from the churning waters while the cubs scampered around on the shore. As we watched this amazing display of power and agility, a forth bear suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the stream. The sub-adult bear walked up the steam and began fishing as well. Many guests viewed the brown bears from the shore, while others had the chance to watch them from our kayaks. Eventually, the large female bear and cubs returned to the dark forest, but we continued to watch the sub-adult bear throughout the morning. We also adjusted our hiking plans and briefly explored a section of wild forest in the direction opposite the stream.
As we returned to the National Geographic Sea Lion for lunch, numerous humpback whales announced their presence in Pavlof Harbor with misty spouts. We watched as one whale breached dozens of times in the distance. The fascinating whale ballet entertained all the guests who witnessed it.
During lunch, we departed Pavlof Harbor and returned to Chatham Strait. In the afternoon, we sailed south down this large body of water that separates Admiralty Island from Chichagof and Baranof Islands. We continued to look for whales and other marine life in the dark waters and brown bears on the nearby beaches. We made a short detour to lovely Kasnyku Falls, a tall waterfall that tumbles down the steep hillside of Kasnyku Bay and pours into the narrow inlet. The deep waters of the bay, and the National Geographic Sea Lion’s shallow draft, allowed us to put the bow of the ship almost within touching distance of the falls. Later, we witnessed the rugged beauty of Warm Springs Bay. We paused by the small community of Baranof Hot Springs and watched another large waterfall churning the waters of the inlet. As the setting sun began to color the water with shades of pink and purple, the National Geographic Sea Lion briefly anchored in the sheltered cove. Surrounded by steep, forested cliffs, we reflected on our day of fun and excitement on land and water. Southeast Alaska had lived up to her reputation as a truly untamed wilderness.
