|
Whale Tail
© Angelo Sciulli
|
Southeast Alaska
Alaska has summer resident
Humpback whales that
migrate north to feed in the krill rich waters south of Juneau. It is an unforgettable sight to see these 40 ton
animals as they feed and, at times, play in the open waters. One of the best ways to observe these massive
mammals is on a boat that allows you to spend time in the proximity of the animals. The Glacier Seal is a 60 foot vessel with all of the conveniences of home
with the added advantage of having as Captain an Alaskan native that knows the habits of the wildlife and is also
an accomplished nature photographer.
In addition to the Humpback whales, the waters of the Frederick Sound are are home to the Federally
Endangered Steller Sea Lions The females of the species
weigh about 600 pounds with the bulls weighing as much 2,000 pounds. Watching the sea lions on their haul outs
gives you an appreciation of the derivation of their name. These mammal are very much at home in the open
waters move more that is masked by their deceptive awkwardness on land
Killer whales, or Orcas,
also frequent the waters of the sound. It is possible to see solitary animals as well as family groups, or pods, of
12-14 whales at one time. On one day we saw approximately 50 of the whales moving quickly through the open
waters. It is easy to distinguish the males by their six foot dorsal fin and even to identify them by name through
visually matching the distinctive black and white markings to pictures in an identification book.
A boat the size of the Glacier Seal allows for approach to Glaciers such as Dawes Glacier. The air temperature
drops noticeably in the proximity of the glaciers. Watching and hearing the glaciers calve is very impressive
through the sheer mass of ice and splash of water. The ice of these "ice rivers" is a deep blue blue caused by the
tremendous weight of the glacier causing the lower levels of ice to compress and develop the blue color. The
small ice flows in the bay in front of a tide water glacier serve as haul outs for seals. These animals are very
skittish and difficult to approach and photograph.
There are several small fishing villages scattered around the area that exist to take advantage of the excellent
salmon and halibut fishing. The salmon runs bring the bears to the stream mouths where the salmon begin their
journey to spawn. Both black and brown bears are in southeast Alaska and are accessible for photography.
Admiralty Island is known as the fortress of the bears and has an estimated grizzly bear population of 1 bear per
square mile. The National Forest Service administers permits to visit the bears at
Pack Creek. There are
guide services that have
permits and can fly you to Pack Creek for bear viewing.
More information on the wildlife attractions is accessible through the following web sites:
More essays are available in the
ARCHIVES
Please note that the images and the articles on these pages are copyrighted by Angelo Sciulli.
Reprod
uction or use in any manner without permission is prohibited.
| 