Wednesday, October 30, 2019

A Season to Celebrate: Southeast Alaska 2019

Iconic Southeast Alaska sunset. Photo: P Goldstein

2019: A Season to Celebrate

Southeast Alaska

Alaska - Land of the Midnight Sun. Although Bluewater Adventures doesn't travel far enough north to experience round the clock sunshine, this itinerary is no less spectacular. One thing that we have learned over the many years exploring this coast is that seasons bring similar patterns in coastal wildlife viewing, but you can never count on it being the same.


This year, Frederick Sound was off the "bubble-net feeding charts" with many experiences of the co-operative feeding technique used by only some humpback whales. Biologists believe that bubble-net feeding is a "learned behaviour". 

Humpback whales bubble-net feeding in Southeast Alaska. Photo: P Goldstein
One departure hosted a photo group from the UK and the planets aligned with wonderful weather, calm waters and once in a lifetime photographic opportunities. Like they say - "pictures say a thousand words" - thanks to Paul Goldstein (@paulgoldstein) for this collection!

Black bear closeup at Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory. Photo: P Goldstein
It was a dry start to July with salmon arriving to spawn and some rivers too shallow to navigate. This can all change in an afternoon of heavy rain - which it did, prompting the bears to arrive with serious appetites. Overall, Southeast Alaska saw a very strong pink salmon run and the bears at both Anan Creek and Pack Creek clearly reaped the rewards.


A coastal wolf "allows" us to observe it. A rare and welcomed sight. Photo: P Goldstein

Southeast Alaska remains as one of our most prolific wildlife expeditions with outstanding scenery from tidewater glaciers to emerald-green grottoes. Sunsets that change your surroundings to an other-worldly, hot pink has to be experienced to be truly understood.


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