Pavlof Harbor
The already high Alaskan morning sun reflects off the almost glassy surface of the water, as a bow full of watchful eyes scans back and forth with bated anticipation, scrutinizing every new ripple that forms. A small, discreet patch of large bubbles appears gently seethes, quickly followed by another, and another and another! These evenly spaced, upward flowing streams of air start to form an elegant circle, a shape that is only complete for a moment. Almost as if arriving through this aquatic portal from some other dimension, an almost inconceivable amount of mass erupts from its center in an explosion of blue water, grey blubber and white foam. At first glance one’s brain has trouble comprehending the scene it has just witnessed, over half a dozen of some of the planet’s larger pressed close together isn’t something it can process without some understanding of what’s going on. Luckily there are naturalists about to help with perceptual overload.
What is occurring is one of the most impressive displays of animal cooperative feeding by a group of humpback whales. With graceful efficiency these marine behemoths are consuming entire schools of fish by swimming beneath and continuously blowing bubbles that encircle their prey with astounding accuracy. The rising air forms a solid curtain of bubbles that acts as a tightening net from which there is no escape in the mind of the fish, for the bubble wall is easily passed through and is more of a psychological obstacle for the soon to be food. At the appropriate moment the call is made and the whales cease their exhaling and enter the net, mouths agape swimming towards the surface, engulfing the hapless herring caught in this magnificent display of teamwork, intelligence and skill. Utterly captivated we are treated to this unique behavior repeatedly before parting ways with the gorgeous gorging giants.
After a full morning of hiking, kayaking and cruising at Pavlof Harbor we are underway only briefly before another impromptu event occurs. Just north of Morris Reef a steep incline leading to a shallow depth of 40 feet has caught the eye of Undersea Specialist Justin Hofman. The shallow depths allow him to attempt a “Live Dive” where he will explore the ocean floor below with a camera connected back to the ship, allowing everyone onboard the experience of being able to see what is below. Communication is also made possible via a facemask with headphones and a microphone, enabling Justin to narrate and respond to questions asked from the ship above in real time.
The show begins as we descend, down, down, down, through deceptive green water getting eerily darker with each second. At last ground is sighted and what a spectacle it is! A sheer face of rock plateaus before sharply plunging into the inky black depths below, earning it the dive site name of “Trench Run”. The whole area is literally covered with life of all kinds and the next half an hour is spent exploring kelp, sea stars, fish and coral in a location where it’s reasonable to assume no human has ever been before. This exclusive technique truly embodies the spirit of the expedition, and thankfully we’re all along for the ride, today mostly from the comfort of the forward lounge!
