Our expedition began last night, as lines were cast off from Sitka and we headed north past fishing boats, then numerous spruce-covered islands. After dinner we were on deck to enjoy views of Mount Edgecumbe, an inactive volcano near Sitka. At 10:30 p.m. those who were still awake saw a bear in the waning light. Through the night we traveled north and east through Peril Strait.
This region is a vast temperate rainforest, yet we woke to a beautiful, warming, sun. At 7:00 a.m. we were cruising up a very long bay called Tenakee Inlet, and a brown bear had been seen on shore, so we went on deck quietly to observe the animal. In the distance, mountains were streaked with snow, but close to shore, evergreens covered the hills. Little brown sea birds called marbled murrelets sat on the salt water, and they quickly disappeared as they dove. We cruised the bay, seeing four more brown bears. About thirty harbor seals and their pups rested on the sandy shore right at water’s edge. Even as we turned into Chatham Strait it remained calm, and an occasional Dall’s porpoise surfaced.
We spent the afternoon at Pavlof Harbor in Freshwater Bay. Some kayakers paddled into the shallow river towards a wide waterfall. Others went in the direction of a curving beach, and there they found a bear resting in the grass: the eighth bear seen in 24 hours! We also took walks and explored the forest on this unusually dry, sunny and warm day. The forest was beautifully green and mossy, full of ferns, and evidence of squirrels. Next to the lake, skunk cabbage was thriving in the soggy conditions, and beavers had built a lodge. Back onboard the ship at cocktail hour, we enjoyed wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres on the top deck. It was a wonderful, sunny welcome to southeast Alaska. Oranges and pinks lingered with glowing blues in the lingering sunset until 10:30 p.m.
