This glacial fjord is a home and a homeland for a diversity of flora and fauna. From the rainforests of the bay's entrance to the bare bedrock of its upper reaches, the ecosystem pulses with dynamic energy. In the Sitakaday Narrows, tidal currents provoke nutrient cycling, which provides sustenance for a web of life, including sea otters, kelp forests, sea lions and marine birds. The birds and lions perch and preen at South Marble Island, a site that also serves as a nesting location for hundreds of these sea birds. Wolves, bears, moose and mountain goats have each found homes in the terrestrial habitats of this 3.3 million acre national park. The Huna Tlingit call this homeland Sit’ Eeti Gheiyi, which means “The Bay in Place of the Glacier.”
8/1/2019
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National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
