This morning the National Geographic Sea Lion awoke to a humpback in the mouth of Tenakee Inlet. While the whale surfaced intermittently we were entranced by the amount of purse seiners fishing for pink salmon, the most abundant species in this part of Alaska. At least 20 boats with large floating nets set in a circle by skiffs surrounded schools of fish. The purse seine fishery now in it’s fourth week is expected to have a banner return with a forecast of 58 million salmon harvested in Southeast Alaska alone. While amazing to see this fishery in action it was also humbling to see the amount of bycatch in the form of jelly fish, one species of a multitude that suffer from the consumptions of humanity.
Further down the fjord and fault of Chatham Strait we approached Kelp Bay where we dropped a DIB and launched the young explorers on expedition plankton tow. Returning to the ship with sample in hand our undersea specialist Shay helped reveal the world beneath the surface using the microscope and screens in the lounge for all of us to see.
After lunch intrepid spirits explored the awesome nature of Pond Island off of Baranof Island. Walking along the coast huge yellow cedar trees, sitka spruce and western hemlock provided the feeling of a forest primordial. Banana slugs soaking up the moisture after a prolonged drought made a presence on the trail as a river otter darted between the forest and meadow. Long hikers penetrated the blueberry understory as they climbed up and over numerous downed trees and explored the incredible bogs scattered around the island. An incredible treasure chest of natural wonders, the temperate forest revealed its complexity around every corner.
