The first morning of our expedition in Southeast Alaska started in a great way; the cloudy skies and calm waters of Hood Bay, on the western side of Admiralty Island, provided a serene and majestic ambiance. The solid wall of Sitka spruce and Western hemlock trees towering above the bay gave the place a mysterious touch.
In front of some of the huge trees, grassy meadows created a ribbon of light-green color between the forest and the water. There, we soon spotted the first bear of our trip, quietly eating grasses and other herbaceous plants; a surprising sight for many of us, a powerful carnivore grazing not unlike a cow on a farm. However, grasses, sedges, roots and many other vegetable matters comprise the bulk of the bear’s diet, especially during the time before the salmon runs start and most of the berries ripen.
We soon spotted two other bears. Brown bears, that is, since Admiralty Island is one of the famous “ABC” islands – together with Baranof and Chichagof – that are inhabited by brown bears only. The smaller black bear is present in other islands and areas of the region. Admiralty is famous in fact, for having the highest recorded density of brown bears in Southeast Alaska, and possibly one of the highest anywhere, with an estimated one to three bears per square mile.
National Geographic Sea Lion sailed northwest towards the eastern coast of Chichagof Island, crossing the Chatham Strait. She anchored at Pavlof Harbor, where we divided into several groups to explore and enjoy this beautiful place. Kayakers paddled along the shores very close to the forest, since today we experienced proxigean tides –when spring tides and the time when the moon is closest to earth, called perigee, coincide- and the high tide was higher than usual, a phenomenon that happens every year and a half. They were able to admire the shoreline and even the mouth of the river, where a small waterfall made for a very picturesque scene. Hikers experienced their first immersion into the Tongass National Forest and learned about the multitude of marvelous plants and creatures that live in this largest of the remaining temperate rain forests in the world. Several of them even watched another brown bear!
Later we continued sailing the waters of Chatham Strait and found a couple of humpback whales that made a perfect ending of our first day exploring Southeast Alaska.
