A Sunny Kettle of Fish
This morning started out with the thought of something interesting, as most do on an expedition. The light was blinding, a rarity for Southeast Alaska at 7:00 in the morning. After visiting a picturesque waterfall, an old stream recovering from the shock of having a glacier turn its meandering ways into a steep plummet into the ocean, we made our way north to more topography reminiscence of the past ice age. Known as Kelp Bay, the three-fingered fjord was full of interesting life. There were several islands left behind by the glaciers, only to be reclaimed by botany, vertebrates, and invertebrates along the shores and off. Those off included the harbor seal and the always-interesting humpback whale. Some were privy to a showing of flukes and a great breech to be followed by a splash only described as startling.
This all led up to lunch which was enjoyed on deck as we discussed the possibility of sunglasses, lipbalm, and sunscreen for the afternoon. After an ice cream social we all went ashore at Lake Eva for hiking and kayaking. A place long known for its abundance of brown bears, Lake Eva can instill the proper amount of respect, or fear, for the great Ursus arctos. The reason for the presence of the bears was soon discovered. A stream chock full of 4 species of salmon runs the through the heart of this valley. Some found the salmon, some the sign of bear, some the pieces of a young and old bear left for the forest to absorb, and some the great size of the trees fed by the bio-mass left by the distribution of the salmon protein.
The web of life became clear, or at least less mirky, as we thought about bears taking salmon from the stream to the roots of the great trees and then wintering over underneath those same trees. Quite a sunny kettle of fish.
This morning started out with the thought of something interesting, as most do on an expedition. The light was blinding, a rarity for Southeast Alaska at 7:00 in the morning. After visiting a picturesque waterfall, an old stream recovering from the shock of having a glacier turn its meandering ways into a steep plummet into the ocean, we made our way north to more topography reminiscence of the past ice age. Known as Kelp Bay, the three-fingered fjord was full of interesting life. There were several islands left behind by the glaciers, only to be reclaimed by botany, vertebrates, and invertebrates along the shores and off. Those off included the harbor seal and the always-interesting humpback whale. Some were privy to a showing of flukes and a great breech to be followed by a splash only described as startling.
This all led up to lunch which was enjoyed on deck as we discussed the possibility of sunglasses, lipbalm, and sunscreen for the afternoon. After an ice cream social we all went ashore at Lake Eva for hiking and kayaking. A place long known for its abundance of brown bears, Lake Eva can instill the proper amount of respect, or fear, for the great Ursus arctos. The reason for the presence of the bears was soon discovered. A stream chock full of 4 species of salmon runs the through the heart of this valley. Some found the salmon, some the sign of bear, some the pieces of a young and old bear left for the forest to absorb, and some the great size of the trees fed by the bio-mass left by the distribution of the salmon protein.
The web of life became clear, or at least less mirky, as we thought about bears taking salmon from the stream to the roots of the great trees and then wintering over underneath those same trees. Quite a sunny kettle of fish.
