Sitka and Peril Straits
Our first brown bears…
During the night we sailed towards Sitka, the fourth largest city in Alaska, which is located on the coastal edge of Baranof Island. It was a sunny morning and we could see most of the 3,000 foot volcanic cone of Mount Edgecumbe across Sitka Sound.
After another hearty breakfast, a group of intrepid hikers set off to climb Gavin Hill to have a good leg stretch through mountain meadows and the forest. The rest of the group boarded buses bound for several of the city’s attractions. Our first stop was the Sitka Historical Park, where we learned more about this city’s interesting and varied history. A short film told us of the Tlingit Nations culture and how in 1799 Alexander Baranof of the Russian American Company came to Sitka to collect sea otter pelts. In 1802, the Tlingits destroyed the Russian outpost and reclaimed the area. Two years later Baranof returned to drive the Tlingits from the area and established the Russian town of New Archangel. The cultural center within the Historical Park had many Tlingit artifacts and several people demonstrated how some of the baskets and silver crafts are made.
After leaving the Historical Park, we had a little mini exploration of the town before being dropped off in the town center. We wandered into St. Michael’s Cathedral, a link to Sitka’s Russian legacy. The original Russian Orthodox church was built in 1848 but burned down in 1966. Ten years later a replica was built which houses many of the original icons saved from the fire. We had a chance to see these icons and to learn a little bit more about this historic Alaskan landmark.
We boarded the buses yet again to visit the Alaska Raptor Center. This Center rehabilitates injured raptors including bald eagles and has an educational program. We were able to visit the newly opened bald eagle flight training center and have a close up view of the four eagles in this recreated habitat. We were also treated to a short presentation featuring “Sitka,” a juvenile bald eagle and her trainer Forrest Wentzel. Forrest told us how “Sitka” was too severely injured after being hit by a car to be released and she will be trained to travel around the country as part of the Alaska Raptor Center’s educational programs.
After lunch the Sea Lion began cruising back through Peril Straits towards Sergius Narrows which is located between Baranof and Chicagof Islands. In the mid-afternoon natural history staff members continued the discussion about Alaskan salmon that started during Monday’s recap. After the discussion many people enjoyed hotel manager Judi Blewitt’s delicious chocolate sampling in the lounge. Others were out on deck and spotted sea otters plus other wildlife.
As we made our way towards Sergius Narrows, two large dark outlines were spotted in a distant meadow. It was our first sighting of brown bears! One bear was a beautiful chocolate brown while the other’s coat appeared almost black. Everyone was out on deck, practicing their best bear watching behavior of staying very quiet as bears are sensitive to any type of noise. We had fantastic views of the bears as they foraged on the sedge located above the shoreline. Eventually the bears made their way back into the forest and we continued through the Narrows.
It was a beautiful afternoon and we sighted nesting bald eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer, marbled murrlets and a couple of brown bears in the distance. Just before recap the Captain expertly maneuvered the Sea Lion towards another meadow for our second viewing of a brown bear. This time is was a single bear was foraging near a stream edge and it was wonderful to watch some of its behavior.
After recap and another scrumptious dinner, video chronicler William Meyer gave us a preview of the Video Chronicle of our trip he is compiling. When the video finished, expedition leader David Cothran announced he had spotted more brown bears in Sitkoh Bay near the Chatham Strait entrance. We all went out on deck as the full moon was rising against the silhouetted mountain tops to discover six brown bears wandering along the shoreline. It was an amazing sight and David said it was the most bears he has seen in one spot in his twelve years of working in Southeast Alaska! What a fitting way to end a fantastic day.
Our first brown bears…
During the night we sailed towards Sitka, the fourth largest city in Alaska, which is located on the coastal edge of Baranof Island. It was a sunny morning and we could see most of the 3,000 foot volcanic cone of Mount Edgecumbe across Sitka Sound.
After another hearty breakfast, a group of intrepid hikers set off to climb Gavin Hill to have a good leg stretch through mountain meadows and the forest. The rest of the group boarded buses bound for several of the city’s attractions. Our first stop was the Sitka Historical Park, where we learned more about this city’s interesting and varied history. A short film told us of the Tlingit Nations culture and how in 1799 Alexander Baranof of the Russian American Company came to Sitka to collect sea otter pelts. In 1802, the Tlingits destroyed the Russian outpost and reclaimed the area. Two years later Baranof returned to drive the Tlingits from the area and established the Russian town of New Archangel. The cultural center within the Historical Park had many Tlingit artifacts and several people demonstrated how some of the baskets and silver crafts are made.
After leaving the Historical Park, we had a little mini exploration of the town before being dropped off in the town center. We wandered into St. Michael’s Cathedral, a link to Sitka’s Russian legacy. The original Russian Orthodox church was built in 1848 but burned down in 1966. Ten years later a replica was built which houses many of the original icons saved from the fire. We had a chance to see these icons and to learn a little bit more about this historic Alaskan landmark.
We boarded the buses yet again to visit the Alaska Raptor Center. This Center rehabilitates injured raptors including bald eagles and has an educational program. We were able to visit the newly opened bald eagle flight training center and have a close up view of the four eagles in this recreated habitat. We were also treated to a short presentation featuring “Sitka,” a juvenile bald eagle and her trainer Forrest Wentzel. Forrest told us how “Sitka” was too severely injured after being hit by a car to be released and she will be trained to travel around the country as part of the Alaska Raptor Center’s educational programs.
After lunch the Sea Lion began cruising back through Peril Straits towards Sergius Narrows which is located between Baranof and Chicagof Islands. In the mid-afternoon natural history staff members continued the discussion about Alaskan salmon that started during Monday’s recap. After the discussion many people enjoyed hotel manager Judi Blewitt’s delicious chocolate sampling in the lounge. Others were out on deck and spotted sea otters plus other wildlife.
As we made our way towards Sergius Narrows, two large dark outlines were spotted in a distant meadow. It was our first sighting of brown bears! One bear was a beautiful chocolate brown while the other’s coat appeared almost black. Everyone was out on deck, practicing their best bear watching behavior of staying very quiet as bears are sensitive to any type of noise. We had fantastic views of the bears as they foraged on the sedge located above the shoreline. Eventually the bears made their way back into the forest and we continued through the Narrows.
It was a beautiful afternoon and we sighted nesting bald eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer, marbled murrlets and a couple of brown bears in the distance. Just before recap the Captain expertly maneuvered the Sea Lion towards another meadow for our second viewing of a brown bear. This time is was a single bear was foraging near a stream edge and it was wonderful to watch some of its behavior.
After recap and another scrumptious dinner, video chronicler William Meyer gave us a preview of the Video Chronicle of our trip he is compiling. When the video finished, expedition leader David Cothran announced he had spotted more brown bears in Sitkoh Bay near the Chatham Strait entrance. We all went out on deck as the full moon was rising against the silhouetted mountain tops to discover six brown bears wandering along the shoreline. It was an amazing sight and David said it was the most bears he has seen in one spot in his twelve years of working in Southeast Alaska! What a fitting way to end a fantastic day.
