Contrary to what you would believe, weather IS changing! This morning offered us a balmy temperature, not a single cloud in the sky, and a smooth sea. We had just left the great fjord called Chatham Strait and ventured into Freshwater Bay, where just at the left side of this bay, there is a small harbor called Pavlof Harbor. Here ships used to sail in to fill their casks with water, and in season, to catch a full hold of one or more of the four known species of delicious salmon, who wend their way in here, jump the waterfall and swim into the lake behind.
Different native groups have called this home due to the abundant fish during the end of spring and all summer long. Of course one has to compete with the bears, which are quite abundant (and hungry) at this time of the year.
Here we instituted kayaking, different hikes, and expedition landing craft tours in the area. Many interesting animals and plants were seen. Flowers are already out, bumblebees are a’buzzin…Crabapple, elderberry, blueberry bushes, but not yet too many orchids!
After lunch the young (!) dared the Arctic Plunge, which here we called the Pavlof Plunge, for which they received a diploma. Imagine! Maybe because of the screams they produced (the water was at 52 degrees). Urg!
The day crept on, during which we continued to see humpback whales at different distances from the ship. Once in a while, among the numerous birds, there were porpoise to be see—in this case Dall’s porpoise, the fastest cetacean in the world. We shamed to know that they can do probably three times our speed—some even surfed our bow wake us for a good time, allowing everybody to photograph them—well!
We then entered Peril Strait, which separates Baranof Island from Chichagof Island, which will lead us into Sitka tomorrow morning. Yes, Sitka upon the waters, the old Russian America capital. Today it is a modern, lovely small city or large town. Yup, only 17 miles of road that don’t take you anywhere…
