Chatham Strait and Pavlof Harbor
A magical, mysterious morning awaited us from the moment we stepped on deck. Low, Southeast Alaska mist hung along the mountainsides of Admiralty Island and below the highest peaks of Baranof Island as we watched humpback whales feeding in the nutrient-rich waters at the meeting of Chatham Strait and Frederick Sound. The whales blew more mist into the air with each surfacing and then lifted their majestic flukes high into that air and dove steeply into the misty waters: feeding, feeding, feeding. Meanwhile on the nearby shore of Yasha Island, Steller’s sea lions lounged on the rocks, probably resting their huge bulks between meals. After feeding, feeding, feeding ourselves aboard ship, we encountered more humpback whales along the western shore of Admiralty Island. Two whales were slapping their tail on the water and one of them breached a number of times to the great thrill of all aboard.
Our afternoon was spent in beautiful and protected Pavlof Harbor where we were introduced to sea kayaks. Even many aboard who had never been in a kayak tried this wonderful way of traveling. The first of us that paddled along the shores of the bay and into the creek that leads from Pavlof Lake were greeted by a large brown bear who also greeted our small group of long hikers. It was quite a thrill to see this bear skirting along the falls looking for salmon. Unfortunately for the bear, the salmon are not running yet this year to the concern of the biologists that are monitoring the stream and falls. They told us that it is probably due to the high temperature of the lake from the warm weather and little rain that has fallen these past few months. Although many of us did not see the bear by the stream, we all had a very good look at a mother and her two cubs as they walked along the shore opposite our anchorage.
A magical, mysterious morning awaited us from the moment we stepped on deck. Low, Southeast Alaska mist hung along the mountainsides of Admiralty Island and below the highest peaks of Baranof Island as we watched humpback whales feeding in the nutrient-rich waters at the meeting of Chatham Strait and Frederick Sound. The whales blew more mist into the air with each surfacing and then lifted their majestic flukes high into that air and dove steeply into the misty waters: feeding, feeding, feeding. Meanwhile on the nearby shore of Yasha Island, Steller’s sea lions lounged on the rocks, probably resting their huge bulks between meals. After feeding, feeding, feeding ourselves aboard ship, we encountered more humpback whales along the western shore of Admiralty Island. Two whales were slapping their tail on the water and one of them breached a number of times to the great thrill of all aboard.
Our afternoon was spent in beautiful and protected Pavlof Harbor where we were introduced to sea kayaks. Even many aboard who had never been in a kayak tried this wonderful way of traveling. The first of us that paddled along the shores of the bay and into the creek that leads from Pavlof Lake were greeted by a large brown bear who also greeted our small group of long hikers. It was quite a thrill to see this bear skirting along the falls looking for salmon. Unfortunately for the bear, the salmon are not running yet this year to the concern of the biologists that are monitoring the stream and falls. They told us that it is probably due to the high temperature of the lake from the warm weather and little rain that has fallen these past few months. Although many of us did not see the bear by the stream, we all had a very good look at a mother and her two cubs as they walked along the shore opposite our anchorage.
