Where in the World?

We arrived in Sitka, Alaska early in the morning. Sitka is home to about 9,000 people, 14 miles of state highway and some of the most pristine natural areas you can visit in the world. Believe it or not the main industry or source of employment in Sitka is health care. You would think it was tourism or fishing, but it’s not.

Sitka is situated 1/3 of the way down Baranof Island on the side facing the Gulf of Alaska. Erica and I loved this sleepy village. The scenery consisted of old and second growth trees of the Tongass National Forest, multiple islands dotting Sitka sound and abundant wildlife of all types.

The area is smack in the middle of the largest national forest in the United States which happens to be temperate rain forest, so it usually rains about 100 inches per year. One local told me that the weather can be summarized like this: 75 days of some sun, 75 days which are overcast and the remainder of the days it rains. Snowy peaks contrast with the rich green hues of the abundant evergreen forest which is growing in every available niche.

We started our day on a powered catamaran touring the islands near the city in Sitka Sound. Our first objective was to find some sea otters. Once we hit Black Island we were awarded with a large group resting on their backs on top of a kelp forest. We continued touring for awhile observing the otters in their natural habitat. They live in shallow water due to the fact that they can’t hold their breath for very long; about three minutes.

A bonus during this trip was that we saw 16 fully mature bald eagles and two very large eagle nests. We saw them sitting in trees, fishing in the ocean and flying. You would think that after seeing so many that it would become tiresome. But, I have to say that it was as exciting to see the last one as it was to see the first. Note: Southeast Alaska is home to 25,000 bald eagles which represents ¼ of the total population throughout the United States.

Next we went on search for humpback whales out in the middle of Sitka Sound. It was quite rough as the ocean swells were high due to an approaching storm. But, the ride was worth it as we were able to watch three humpbacks feeding in the deep waters. One came within in about 30 yards of our boat and startled several of us. Apparently they can be quite curious but not dangerous at all.

After the incredible boat journey, Erica and I took a bus to the Alaska Raptor Center which is one of the largest hospitals for raptors in the country. They work very hard to rehabilitate these magnificent birds and release them back into the wild. Volta, who is the eagle shown in the photo to the right, has a wing bone problem that could never be fixed. So, for the past 16 years, this eagle has been used to teach others about eagles all around the country.

The rest of the day consisted of walking around Sitka and just exploring the town before we had to return to the ship.

Tomorrow is a short stopover in Ketchikan. Erica takes to the skies in a float plane around the misty fjords and I take a long hike in some old growth rainforest looking for bears and other wildlife.

Michael