Incredible. Nothing less could describe today. With plans to enjoy the sublime scenery of Pavlov Harbor, its cascading falls and tranquil lake, we knew it would be a fine day. However, before we could begin our morning activities we spotted a brown bear on the beach and an extraordinary day began to unfold. We all piled into the expedition landing craft for a closer look and were treated to some great views of the solitary bear, which lazily strolled the beach, pausing now and then to graze on some new shoots. We then took to the shore ourselves and had an enjoyable morning walking among the verdant forest and along the lake shore, where we watched a beaver swimming close to its den and listened to ruby-crowned kinglets staking claim to their territories. In the afternoon, we all set out in different directions, some in expedition landing craft, others in kayaks, to enjoy Pavlov Harbor from the water. But it was not long before we were all assembled close to shore to watch yet another bear meandering along the water’s edge. This time we were afforded a very intimate encounter with the large mammal that grazed, indifferent to our presence, barely a stone’s throw from our bows.
Though many of us could have continued to watch the bear for hours, eventually it was time to continue heading north. However, any disappointment was soon forgotten once we rounded the northeastern tip of Chichagof Island and spotted a group of bubble-netting humpback whales. Captain Hook and the ‘Chatham Strait black fluke gang’ were there in full force! We dropped a hydrophone and listened to their loud, trumpet like feeding calls while waiting, transfixed, for the first sign of bubbles at the surface. And then there it was, a flash of herring, followed by a full lunge with at least a dozen animals breaking the surface in synchrony! Then, a few minutes later, another lunge! This carried on for hours - we even broke for dinner, yet watched the animals from the dining room window as we enjoyed our meal! We continued to watch the animals feed from the bow, nightcap in hand, until the light began to fade. When we finally retired to our rooms, there was a general sense that this would be a tough day to beat!
