Low clouds, gray seas–a perfect Southeast Alaskan morning. Following breakfast we planned to sit in the lounge for various introductions and briefings on our first day–how to hike in bear country, ride in Zodiacs, kayak the fjords–until we were interrupted by a killer whale cruising through Kelp Bay. Arching his back with each breath, six-foot dorsal fin on prominent display, this lone male may have been a “transient” marine mammal hunter, as opposed to one of the more gregarious “resident” fish eaters. Bundled up against the chilly breeze on deck, we heard about the matrilineal society and cooperative hunting of these stunning and complex mammals.
After lunch it was off to Pavlof Harbor, the site of a major salmon stream that once attracted native peoples of this region, and more recently a cannery and saltery to preserve the great seasonal abundance of salmon. We are early in the season yet; salmon have only just begun their journeys up their natal streams–nevertheless, whenever salmon spawn, brown bears are not far behind. We carried bear spray and walked in tight groups.
Climbing past the waterfall, we soon entered the coastal temperate rain forest, along the way learning the two dominant tree species of Southeast Alaska’s vast old growth forest: Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Both were used in constructing the impressive beaver lodge above the falls. We emerged into the brightness of the lakeside meadows, and took a long minute in silence to appreciate the still verdant scene at Pavlof Lake.
Land and sea are intimate partners here: endless rains, low clouds, big tides, and rivers make it hard to tell where land ends and ocean begins. Today we experienced both, taking the late afternoon to kayak through placid inlet. Harbor seals stared and belted kingfishers swooped after fish. A misty rain flowed in from the Pacific. “I’m on sabbatical from my job this summer,” said one beaming guest from his kayak. “I wonder what they’d say if I decided to take another one?”
