Southeast Alaska teems with wildlife. Our day began with humpback whales drawn to Chatham Strait by the productive waters there. Mixing of currents and cold upwellings were the base for a soup of phytoplankton and zooplankton, tiny plants and animals at the bottom of the pyramid of life. It appeared as if the massive mammals that greeted us at the beginning of the day were celebrating this richness with a dance of movements: triple breaches, pectoral slapping, tail lobbing and lunging. Miles away, deep at the end of Kelp Bay on Baranof Island, the sacrifice of life by spawning salmon gave future hope to the next generation of fish and set a gourmet platter on the shoreline for a huge brown bear that lumbered along a stream bed among 65 bald eagles and hundreds of gulls and crows. In the outlet to the bay, two river otters frolicked and harbor seals cruised with only their bowling ball shaped heads breaking the surface of the water. What will tomorrow bring?
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 08 Aug 1999
From the Sea Bird in Alaska, 8/8/1999, National Geographic Sea Bird
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird
- Alaska
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