Pavlof Harbor and Point Adolphus
Today we enjoyed fantastic close encounters with three of Southeast Alaska’s most magnificent animals! To our delight, a small pod of orca, or killer whales, was sighted near the shore during breakfast. These graceful and powerful animals are often elusive, but not today. In the soft morning light a large male, two females and several young glided near the starboard side of the ship. Killer whales are actually the largest members of the dolphin family. We believe this pod to be of the so-called residents. These whales subsist on fish alone and do not hunt marine mammals.
Back in the lounge we went over some basic safety for the week. Thankfully, the briefings were brief because a report came from the bridge that there were humpback whales nearby. These mammals have travelled to Southeast Alaska all the way from Hawaii, where they mate and give birth and barely eat at all. Weighing over 40 tons, they are attracted to this area because of the nutrient-rich waters, which provide enough krill and herring for them to fill up on before they return south.
While they are able to feed individually, some humpbacks also work cooperatively in a process called bubble-net feeding, where they gather their prey and capture them in large numbers. This morning we witnessed this process unfold several times with unsuccessful results. Our patience was rewarded though, when all at once multiple humpback mouths, ventral pleats extended wide, came lurching up out of the water in a close circle to devour the fish they had entrapped in a net of rising bubbles. Though humpback whales elsewhere exhibit the use of bubbles as a feeding tool, only here in Alaska can you see them cooperating in such large numbers.
You would think that we had already had a full and successful day, but there was still time to make it to shore at Pavlof Harbor before lunch. A short hike to the base of a waterfall provides what was for many, a once in a lifetime opportunity to view bears in their natural habitat. We found six brown bears at the base of the falls. They were aware of us, cautious of each other and intent on catching the salmon that were fighting their way upstream to breed. Two males postured and growled at one another while a mother and two cubs meandered down the far shore. It was amazing to watch the ease in which they could pluck the salmon out of the shallow waters.
In the afternoon we made our way north to Point Adolphus. Again we found humpback whales, this time in such numbers that you could see spouts, dorsal fins, and flukes in every direction from our ship. Several times a group swam right past the ship as we drifted in neutral. The enthusiasm on the bow was palpable. What an incredible start to our journey together.
