We departed Sitka yesterday evening amidst a panoply of light and atmosphere, sunlight on the mountains, low clouds around green forested islands, grey mist and streaming sunshine. In anticipation of our short expedition exploring the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska we are open to anything this fascinating region of the planet has to offer.
Our morning began in Chatham Strait, and after getting some basic orientations to the planned activities, and expert presentations on bears and photography, we cruised along the beaches and forests. As we headed to Pavlov Harbor, our destination for the afternoon, we found a pod of killer whales cruising the same direction in the strait, and we had a great chance to view these apex predators on the move.
In the afternoon, many adventurers took advantage of both hiking and kayaking in this beautiful place. There were occasional salmon jumping in the protected harbor, and along the shore and in the forest there were plentiful signs of the bears who were waiting for the salmon to begin their run up the river.
