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where is gmack now? innersea discoveries expedition week 10

It has been an exciting week on the InnerSea Discoveries Expedition Click Links Below to read daily updates from Week 10 of the Trip:

July 2 - July 9, 2011

 

Saturday | July 2

TURNOVER DAY = SWABBING THE DECKS

Sunday | July 3

GLACIER CALVING, SEALS & WHALES

Monday | July 4

HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY, EVERYBODY!

Tuesday | July 5

MOOSE PELLETS

Wednesday | July 6

CHIEF SHAKES LODGE

Thursday |July 7

SNORKELING AND BANJO PLAYING

Friday | July 8

CLAM-EATING BEAR

Saturday | July 9

“WE NEED THE GREGgle APP!”

 

 

Thursday | June 30th

Frederick Sound

Last night we motored into this most stunning of bays on Baranof Island. The majority of guests decide to kayak up the fiord to the splendid waterfall that seems to fall out of the sky down a precipice covered in conifers. Just beyond at the head of the bay on about two hundred acres of mudflats and meadows, a grizzly bear feeds on grasses. Kayakers line themselves along the edge of the river opposite the bear. A bald eagle is perched on a stump, providing another photographic opportunity.

What is the difference between a BROWN bear and a GRIZZLY bear, you may ask? They are the same species, Ursus arctos. The coastal grizzly is called a brown bear. It is significantly larger than the interior grizzly bear because of diet and climate.

Salmon are in abundance along the coast of Alaska. Because the waters of the Gulf of Alaska warm the air enough to moderate the temperatures along the coast, brownies can stay active a couple of months longer than the interior grizzlies. The latter have to deal with temperatures that drop well below freezing, triggering the hibernation response.

We spot a brown bear on the flats and kayak upriver a few hundred meters to get a better look. An eagle perched on a beached stump above the mud-flats was a favorite photo-subject for kayakers.

Later in the day, I get on the marine radio and make a call to the Alaska Whale Foundation. I talk with world-renowned humpback whale researcher Dr. Fred Sharpe. He says that he is available to join us for a talk aboard the ship! We meet him in Frederick Sound and he motors over in his small Zodiac. Fred and I have been friends for over 20 years. He answers lots of questions and entertains guests in the lounge with his humor and knowledge.

After just a half-hour, the swells on this inland sea magically disappear and become glass-like. Humpback whales are spotted “around the clock” in all directions from the ships decks. We estimate at least two dozen whales blowing from just a hundred meters to a couple of kilometers away.

Before disembarking, Fred mentions the influx of nutrients and plankton as a result of the persistent winds we had throughout the morning. Frederick Sound is in the middle of a nutrient-rich geographical area. The plankton feed the schooling fish which in turn feed the leviathans.

Wednesday | June 29th

Patterson Bay: Scat and Cataracts!

Wake up to the sound of heavy rain and the euphonious waterfalls that surround our anchored vessel.

As you might say in Spanish: Que lastima! Esta lloviendo (what a pity that it’s raining). But here’s my saying for the day: “Whether the weather is wet or whether the weather is dry…whatever the weather we’ll weather the weather, whether we like it or not.” I should add: “There is no such thing as bad weather…there is only inappropriate gear.”

It’s easy to think that the inclement weather will continue for days, if not weeks, since there isn’t any sign of a “blue-hole” or patch of blue in the sky. Positive thinking really helps and it’s encouraging to see gung-ho guests ready to get out and brave the elements. We all know, of course, that “liquid sunshine” is what makes the temperate rainforest so lush and verdant! If we get a bit cold, we can all get in the hot tubs after our days adventures!

Today I lead two separate groups through dense vegetation to a well-hidden and spectacular waterfall.

I have to yell “HEY BEAR” while pushing through the tall salmonberry shrubs, alder thickets and Devils’ Club plants to alert any sleeping grizzly bears. The guests follow me as I crawl under and on top of giant, fallen trees. We are sopping wet within 100 yards of penetration but all have big grins on their faces. Why? Because this is as good as it gets for pure wilderness! After we step over our first of at least 10 large piles of brown bear scat, I pronounce: “Welcome to the food chain!”

In the lower 48 States (or anyplace in the world for that matter), it’s easy to take trails for granted. It isn’t until we get into the path-less woods that we can appreciate all the effort it takes to build and maintain a trail. Four legged mammals have the advantage of ducking under massive fallen trees while looking for the least difficult way through an ecosystem to find food, water and shelter.

I shoot some video of our hiking group pushing through the wet vegetation and into the shallow river where it is easier to navigate.

In the late afternoon, our captain decides to motor into another of the spectacular fiords on the southeast side of Baranof.

The scenery is mesmerizing at just a few knots per hour and many are quiet and contemplative on our journey up to a waterfall and a view of a brown bear.

Thursday | May 12th

I missed Klemtu…terrific last time with the Oceanus three years ago.  Captain Marce said she saw some Pacific white-sided dolphins at 3 a.m.  Today lots of rain squalls, most of them light rain followed by brief bursts of sunshine.  Lovely scenery that grows on you…endless mountains and glacial fjords, trees and waterfalls, eagles and inlets…. Right at the time that Lauri was to give a talk on the Tongass National Forest we arrived in Butedale.  Bosun was to take Randall out for pictures…Randall forgot his pics and I jumped on board to do a plankton tow with the net that Jacqui gave us for the season…another reason I really like her and wish we’d cross paths again soon.  We end up going over and talking to the two caretakers that have been on Prince of Wales island for a long time. Fun to see the dilapidated old cannery started in 1902 with a very cute stocky orange cat named “Tiger”.

We give them the very tasty breakfast burritos we had earlier and some of the fabulous bread that Lee cooks up for us every day.  Then we invite them onto the ship.  Bosun then drove Randall and I for some pictures of the waterfall and I do my plankton tow and put them in Petri dishes and have the passengers enjoy in the 20X and 40X of the stereoscopes. Ron gave a talk to the passengers for ½ hour or so and we said our goodbyes and it was fun to be a part of the dignitary group…reminded me of the chiefs of Ifaluk in the south pacific 3 years ago as well.  I feel I’ve reached a certain maturity and it is fun to be on the Bridge.  Before lunch, I grabbed the microphone and thanked the Captain, Chief Mate, Bosun, E.L. and Hotel Manager for their flexibility and for bringing us this serendipitous expedition stop and announced the new map on the wall that Randall and I put up, as we finished the previous one.

Beautiful rain squalls for more pictures and a project just before the rain of putting together all of our tents this morning going through all of our first aid kits and labeling items…. I gave a talk on the natural history of the 3 bear species in alaska and what to do around bears.  Entertaining and I also showed some slides of my program on the Great Bear Wilderness of the Kermode/spirit bear with some of my slides from Katmai.  Mentioned Timothy Treadwell from Grizzly Man.

Pass Prince Rupert at 11:30 and we will enter the State of Alaska soon after passing through the testy waters of Dixon Entrance, lasting 4 hours