As daybreak unraveled, the characteristic clinging clouds on the surrounding peaks and patches of light shone through the breaks with near-still conditions over the water made for a magnificent scene to start another fine day in Southeast Alaska. Our morning, and in fact our entire day, would unravel in the idyllic cut in Chatham Strait named Pavlof Harbor. Decades ago this bay and the surrounding waters were exploited for the abundant salmon and forest products of Southeast Alaska. Thankfully today those same resources have recovered and are now being exploited by the natural inhabitants of this land, mostly the bears. Today we would have a rare and incredible opportunity to watch an ancient scene unfold right in front of our very eyes...
Just as our morning operations here at Pavlof were beginning our scout boat had reported back to the ship that a brown bear was in the middle of the creek feeding on salmon. Being that our hiking and shore activities all took place very near this spot, our expedition leader decided to send our fleet of expedition landing craft out to get an up-close-and-personal look. So, for the first part of the morning we would spend watching not just one but at least three different brown bears feasting on the returning salmon in the tidal waters of Pavlof Creek. This would prove to be an incredible opportunity to see this symbol of wild Alaska play out its roll in this dynamic ecosystem. We proceeded with the morning options to hike along the creek and into the forest only to have our hikes truncated by the appearance of a female (sow) brown bear and her two cubs making there way to the feeding grounds of the creek. Fortunately for us we all made our way back to the landing and promptly vacated this popular spot for the bears of Southeast Alaska.
Oh, but wait, it's not even close to over yet. Shortly after our hike several of our guests chose to plunge into the relatively frigid waters, and then after lunch we were treated to a nearly two-hour show of two feeding humpback whales literally right in front of the ship and just a few hundred yards away from our anchorage in the morning. The whales were lunging at the surface in near perfect synchronicity, their ventral pleats expanded and at times the baleen plates used to filter the food (fish) with each massive gulp of water.
Sooooo, as if that wasn't enough, we were in for yet one more surprise to wrap up an already incredible day and expedition. Sometime during the main course of dinner our expedition leader received a call that killer whales had been sighted from the bridge. This was a “no brainer” call to make as we hadn't yet seen this top predator of the world's oceans. With a little negotiation with the galley and hotel staff we called the guests out on deck to observe as many as eight killer whales in late evening light as they cruised the waters in search of food. Their blows were perfectly audible, once the excitement died down, and there sleek forms and telltale dorsals punctured the glassy waters. Bam, that's a wrap folks!
