One of the most wonderful aspects of Lindblad Expeditions and traveling on a small vessel like the Sea Lion is that our itineraries are flexible and the ships are maneuverable. In the deep waters of Tracy Arm fjord we can get up close to the shore to observe wildlife in a safe and unobtrusive manner. After a morning of spectacular calvings at both Sawyer and South Sawyer Glaciers, supplemented by close views of harbor seals on icebergs, distant views of mountain goats, Arctic terns, and bald eagles, we spotted two black bears on the shore. One was very dark; the other was brown in color. Black bears can range in color from white, to cinnamon, to black. We rely on other features in order to distinguish the black bear (Ursus americanus) from the larger brown/grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) that also inhabits Southeast Alaska. Brown bears can also vary from quite blonde to very dark.
It was interesting to see the interaction, from the vantage point of the bow of our ship, between these two black bears when they were in close proximity to each other. The brown black bear seemed to be dominant over the scrawnier black-colored bear, chasing it out of the former's feeding area. We could see bushes shaking during an apparent tussle between them. At this time of year, bears will often forage in the intertidal zone, eating barnacles, muscles, crabs, worms, and whatever else they can find.
Today the tidal differential was almost 20 feet. This is common for the narrow waterways of the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska. Distinct layers of algae, mussels and barnacles can often be seen at different levels of the intertidal zone. The organisms in this extreme environment are specially adapted to cling to the substrate and withstand long periods of time without water. Land and sea are linked by this unique ecosystem and it was fascinating to observe the connection during this spectacular day.
