We began our day in glorious sunshine and in a glorious setting. Takatz Inlet is a deep rent in the side of Baranof Island. Granite peaks soared above us, draped with glacial ice. Spruce, hemlock, and pines clung to the steep shorelines, illuminated by the low-angle light into crisp beauty.
During breakfast, we were joined by Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation. Andy is one of Southeast Alaska’s leading whale researchers. Andy seemed to bring whale luck with him, because, just as he was about to start his lecture, to his facetious annoyance, killer whales were spotted! We all trooped to the outside decks to see the whales. A pair of fins appeared regularly through the fog, creating a vision both exciting and mysterious. Andy spoke about killer whales and their remarkable social system as we watched. At last, giving up on the killer whales, we dove down to the lounge to see Andy’s program about humpbacks.
Andy headed homeward just before lunch, and we eased through the fog toward Morris Reef. This is a good spot for whales, but the fog persisted, limiting our view. By early afternoon we motored into Peril Strait, where conditions and our luck changed. Under bright sun we found a humpback. Melville called humpbacks “the most gamesome of whales,” and this one lived up to this description. Again and again the whale did a “chin-breach,” tossing its head above the surface to make a hefty splash. Finally, after all cameras were turned on and focused, the whale gave a full breach at close range. It was a spectacular view of all that makes humpbacks the most beautiful of whales—elegant form, pied patterning, and the longest limbs of any creature on the planet. Those with cameras and those with biologic lenses and memories couldn’t have been better pleased!
Wildlife was just as good in the late afternoon. We walked the trail that follows the stream flowing from Lake Eva. This is a good salmon stream. Winding through the woods, around a meadow and up to a set of cascades, we were delighted to find a fishing bear. The good-sized bruin was swimming upstream, pausing regularly to chow down another fish. We watched for quite a while until the bear tromped off into the woods. Then we found another fishing creature! Paul, our undersea specialist, donned his dry suit and did his best bear imitation. At Recap, his underwater-video bearspective shed light on how skillful any animal must be to snatch a meal from this stream. Elsewhere along the trail we saw summer’s culmination in all sorts of rank and extravagant growth, as if vegetation were competing with salmon in morbid fecundity. We found vivid bunchberries, weird blue lily capsules, and huge skunk-cabbage leaves grown out of proportion to near-collapse.
From grand scenery, through wildlife and down to intimate floral vignettes, our view of Southeast Alaska today was extraordinary.
