Pavlof Harbor, Chichagof Island
During this past week we have experienced poetry in motion as we watched humpback whales slip silently through the water with their flukes up, perform a watery headstand and dive for their meals. Hula-hoop circles of their fluke-prints on the otherwise placid water's surface was the only evidence of their passage. The expansive and diverse landscape of Alaska has given us visual fodder for the written word: the snow capped peaks of the Fairweather range bathed in the rosy glow of the evening sunset, the reflective kettle ponds filled with pond lilies in blossom, a grass edged meadow filling the border between forest and lake. The sounds of Steller sea lions roaring and belching, of killer whales' exhalations, of kittiwakes calling and commenting on their neighbors and life in general has surrounded us with an audible signature of Alaska.
We have learned during our explorations that none of these components - trees, whales, bears, sea lions, fish or birds - can stand alone; they are members of a web of life more intricately woven than any of us could ever imagine. Our experiences are also a mesh of memories, snippets and experiences of Alaska that we will share, remember and cherish for years to come.
It would be the consensus to say the brown bear frantically chasing salmon in the stream at Pavlof Harbor this morning, or the larger bear with a more efficient fishing method standing upright in the stream munching its catch was the highlight of our day, perhaps for some the highlight of the trip. It most certainly was inspirational to a group of our guests that wrote and now share with you a limerick commemorating this memorable event.
Composed by the “Raven” group:
The leisurely walk saw a bear
Adventurers came on a tear
The bear caught a fish
And we got our wish
To give Marca a heck of a scare!
Anna Scutt, Age 10, also put pencil to paper to share with us her impression of Alaska:
Amazing place
Landscape is beautiful
Always making announcements about animals
So peaceful
Kayaking
A wonderful place!
