Pavlof Harbor & Chatham Strait
Today was a day of experiencing two of the most amazing wildlife spectacles on earth. The two were very different experiences, but both involved excessive feeding in preparation for a long winter with little to no feeding. Both were observed very close, for extended periods of time, and resulted in memories that will last a lifetime.
Shortly after breakfast we went ashore in Pavlof Harbor on the island of Chichagof, and as we approached a small waterfall, two brown bears were spotted. These two young siblings were feasting on the abundant pink salmon that were working their way up to spawn. Everyone onboard was treated to spectacular views as the two bears repeatedly caught salmon and selectively ate different portions. Most of the time, male pink salmon were discarded, as the roe of the females is preferred. The bears would rip the female’s underside open with orangish eggs flying out. The bears would then lick the eggs off the rocks and move on to another fish.
After lunch, we moved a short way up the coast to Chatham Strait where a large group of humpback whales were spotted. These whales were feeding in a cooperative method known as bubble net feeding, where they simultaneously lunge to the surface, erupting out of the water with mouths agape. We came to a stop as the whales approached, and we were in awe as up to thirteen individuals lifted their flukes high to dive deep and regroup for another feeding. With our hydrophone, we were able to listen as one of the whales would scream to herd the fish in a tighter group, and then using the gulls as a cue, we repeatedly witnessed the whale’s lunge out, engulfing huge numbers of herring.
We were also lucky enough to witness a team from the Alaska Whale Foundation working with a team from National Geographic Society in the placing of Crittercams on some of these whales. This technology allows for a view of what is happening underwater during this amazing behavior. We were incredibly lucky as they joined us after dinner for a presentation on their work where they even showed us some of the footage that they had captured recently.
Today was a day of experiencing two of the most amazing wildlife spectacles on earth. The two were very different experiences, but both involved excessive feeding in preparation for a long winter with little to no feeding. Both were observed very close, for extended periods of time, and resulted in memories that will last a lifetime.
Shortly after breakfast we went ashore in Pavlof Harbor on the island of Chichagof, and as we approached a small waterfall, two brown bears were spotted. These two young siblings were feasting on the abundant pink salmon that were working their way up to spawn. Everyone onboard was treated to spectacular views as the two bears repeatedly caught salmon and selectively ate different portions. Most of the time, male pink salmon were discarded, as the roe of the females is preferred. The bears would rip the female’s underside open with orangish eggs flying out. The bears would then lick the eggs off the rocks and move on to another fish.
After lunch, we moved a short way up the coast to Chatham Strait where a large group of humpback whales were spotted. These whales were feeding in a cooperative method known as bubble net feeding, where they simultaneously lunge to the surface, erupting out of the water with mouths agape. We came to a stop as the whales approached, and we were in awe as up to thirteen individuals lifted their flukes high to dive deep and regroup for another feeding. With our hydrophone, we were able to listen as one of the whales would scream to herd the fish in a tighter group, and then using the gulls as a cue, we repeatedly witnessed the whale’s lunge out, engulfing huge numbers of herring.
We were also lucky enough to witness a team from the Alaska Whale Foundation working with a team from National Geographic Society in the placing of Crittercams on some of these whales. This technology allows for a view of what is happening underwater during this amazing behavior. We were incredibly lucky as they joined us after dinner for a presentation on their work where they even showed us some of the footage that they had captured recently.
