Point Adolphus/Idaho Inlet
Evidence of productivity abounds throughout Southeast Alaska. All of our senses were alerted to this fact during the early morning hours in the vicinity of Point Adolphus on the northeast side of Chichagof Island. Converging currents, changing tides, and cold upwelling water team up with nutrients and oxygen to stimulate the intricate web of life that starts with plankton – tiny drifting plants and animals that form the basis of the food chain. A sample brought up in our plankton net revealed an ocean teeming with life – copepods, arrow worms, and larval life forms. Looking over the side of the Sea Lion we noticed schools of herring, which were feeding on the plankton. Salmon swam amongst the frenzied herring. Also on stage were harbor porpoises, Steller sea lions, and sea otters. Dozens of bald eagles took advantage of the chance for a feast, repeatedly swooping and reaching with outstretched talons for an unwary fish near the surface. Not every attempt was successful but the energy expended often paid off. No doubt, many fed young eaglets waiting in nests at the forest’s edge.
Endangered humpback whales travel thousands of miles to feed here in the summer, returning year after year to this tried and true feeding ground after a winter without eating. New mothers bring their nursing calves up from warmer waters and teach them the best ways to get the most out of their efforts to procure a good meal. The whales fed at depth on the swarms of herring, coming to the surface to catch their breath, leaving us breathless with awe and respect. Our senses were overloaded with all the activity and the realization of the interconnections between small and large, predator and prey. Today was not a good day to be a herring at Point Adolphus.
Late in the evening the Sea Lion encountered another fish-eating species – a large group of killer whales. This kicked off an energetic pajama party on the decks until darkness closed in and concluded a long fulfilling day.
Evidence of productivity abounds throughout Southeast Alaska. All of our senses were alerted to this fact during the early morning hours in the vicinity of Point Adolphus on the northeast side of Chichagof Island. Converging currents, changing tides, and cold upwelling water team up with nutrients and oxygen to stimulate the intricate web of life that starts with plankton – tiny drifting plants and animals that form the basis of the food chain. A sample brought up in our plankton net revealed an ocean teeming with life – copepods, arrow worms, and larval life forms. Looking over the side of the Sea Lion we noticed schools of herring, which were feeding on the plankton. Salmon swam amongst the frenzied herring. Also on stage were harbor porpoises, Steller sea lions, and sea otters. Dozens of bald eagles took advantage of the chance for a feast, repeatedly swooping and reaching with outstretched talons for an unwary fish near the surface. Not every attempt was successful but the energy expended often paid off. No doubt, many fed young eaglets waiting in nests at the forest’s edge.
Endangered humpback whales travel thousands of miles to feed here in the summer, returning year after year to this tried and true feeding ground after a winter without eating. New mothers bring their nursing calves up from warmer waters and teach them the best ways to get the most out of their efforts to procure a good meal. The whales fed at depth on the swarms of herring, coming to the surface to catch their breath, leaving us breathless with awe and respect. Our senses were overloaded with all the activity and the realization of the interconnections between small and large, predator and prey. Today was not a good day to be a herring at Point Adolphus.
Late in the evening the Sea Lion encountered another fish-eating species – a large group of killer whales. This kicked off an energetic pajama party on the decks until darkness closed in and concluded a long fulfilling day.
