Baranof Island
There are over 2000 streams in Southeast Alaska that support salmon runs. Many of these creeks and rivers host several species of salmonids, running at different times throughout the spring, summer and fall. We spent our morning hiking through lush old-growth forest, alongside one such stream. As we anchored the ship, we watched numerous pink salmon leaping out of the water, perhaps practicing for the jumps they'd soon have to make to reach the calm pools above this small waterfall. As we hiked the trail, we saw ample evidence of the nourishment these fish provide for the forest through the decomposition of their spawned-out bodies. Brown bear tracks in the mud alongside the stream and bald eagles perched in the Sitka spruce trees above reminded us of the forest residents that depend on this reliable annual source of protein. We watched in amazement as individual salmon nosed their way upstream, returning to the same stream in which they were born, to produce young themselves.
There are over 2000 streams in Southeast Alaska that support salmon runs. Many of these creeks and rivers host several species of salmonids, running at different times throughout the spring, summer and fall. We spent our morning hiking through lush old-growth forest, alongside one such stream. As we anchored the ship, we watched numerous pink salmon leaping out of the water, perhaps practicing for the jumps they'd soon have to make to reach the calm pools above this small waterfall. As we hiked the trail, we saw ample evidence of the nourishment these fish provide for the forest through the decomposition of their spawned-out bodies. Brown bear tracks in the mud alongside the stream and bald eagles perched in the Sitka spruce trees above reminded us of the forest residents that depend on this reliable annual source of protein. We watched in amazement as individual salmon nosed their way upstream, returning to the same stream in which they were born, to produce young themselves.
