Friday – Silver Salmon Fishing and Bears EncounterOur first task Friday morning was to retrieve and raise the five crab pots in hopes of capturing a few big ones for our final night’s 'Dungeness Crab Feast'. Much to our surprise, the first pot brought on board yielded 12 very large Dungeness Crabs. The second pot was filled with 11 massive crustaceans. In all we captured more than 50 crabs. A few small, a few medium, and many very large crustaceans. Although we kept only 15 very large, very delicious Dungeness Crabs, it was more than enough for an amazing dinner. They were very large, and very sweet, and very flavorful, but 8 of us could not even consume 8 full size crabs. The next morning after a perfectly prepared and delicious breakfast of fresh Dungeness Crab omelets, we gave a few crabs to some friends back in Juneau. Click image to enlarge By Friday afternoon we had arrived at East Point on Admiralty Island. Time to bait our hooks, drop our lines and enjoy the final afternoon of Silver Salmon fishing. Today though, after only a few minutes, we were reeling in 11 to 15 pound Silvers with ease. Soon we reached our limit. Unfortunately, after almost full 7 days of calm winds and gorgeous blue skies, the weather was finally beginning to sour. The wind was picking up. Rain drops were lightly bouncing off the boats windows. Clearly, we were nearing our point of origin - Juneau. Before the final anchoring and overnighting in Funter Bay, we were hoping to see a few more bears seeking their salmon meals. This would be my favorite and most important experience of the trip. My very up close and very personal encounter with two young Brown Bears. Click image to enlarge As the Alaska Quest neared Pavlov Bay north of East Point, we viewed the waterfall about a half mile away. Salmon must are navigate up and over the falls to reach their spawning grounds. This is deadly dangerous place for salmon. Bears are keenly aware of the probability of the salmon jumping the falls and claiming a fresh salmon dinner of their own. Unfortunately, daylight was waning. The weather was turning south. Also, the crab we had caught needed to be prepared for dinner. The salmon needed to be prepared for travel back to Seattle. This was a very busy afternoon for Tom and Tish. If I wanted to see and photograph bears, I would have to head out on my own. Tom offered to place me at a spot on the river popular for tourists from Juneau traveling by float plane, but I would be all alone on this adventure. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity, fully aware of the inherit risks and potential dangers. Tish provided me with a radio, bug spray and most importantly, bear spray. Tom placed me at the safest spot for viewing any bears that might arrive at the falls. A good distance though from the falls. After about 30 minutes, a female appeared near the falls. I decided I needed to be closer. Fortunately, bears are much more interested in the salmon than people, as long as cubs or aggressive behavior are not involved. I was in little danger. Click image to enlarge Soon after another bear appeared on the falls, then moved across to the other side and up into the forest. This went on for the next 45 minutes or so. I was very cognizant of keeping a safe distance, while trying to get good, clean shots of the bears. As I watched the falls down stream, about 50 feet away, awaiting another bear and paying little attention to what might be behind me, I heard a noise. Quickly from out of the trees, only 10 feet in behind me, appeared a two-year-old brown bear cub. He immediately stopped, probably as shocked to encounter me as I was to encounter him. Within a few seconds, a second cub appeared with the first. Clearly his brother or sister. At this point my heart was racing, my palms were sweating, my hands were shaking, but I was not panicking. I fumbled a few seconds trying to pull out the bear spray. Then slowly and carefully removed the cap from the spray while keeping my eyes on both bears, now in front of me. With a calm and gentle voice, I spoke to the bears. “Bear, bear” I repeated the mantra a few times as they looked around for their mother. I slowly raised my camera and tried to capture a couple shots. Of course, I was shaking too much to capture anything, plus I was shooting with a 400mm lens and my subject was only 10 feet away. I believe the sound of my shutter startled them. They both quickly bolted up the 15-foot trail above me and headed into the woods. A few seconds later I spotted all three at the falls. Mama bear never heard or saw me. After getting many shots of the family and a few others over the next hour, I then decided it was time to call and return to the Alaska Quest. Almost everyday I think about what might have happened had mama appeared. Our crab feast was amazing. Click image to enlarge All images here and anywhere on my website are for sale on Metal, Canvas, Acrylic or Matted print.
0 Comments
Days 5 & 6: The Fish Hatchery & Bear SightingsWednesday morning, just before breakfast, Capt. Tom and I took a few minutes in the skiff in search of spotting a bear or other wildlife. We quickly spotted a couple Blue Herons working to capture their breakfast in the lagoon. Soon after we set out heading towards the fish hatchery at Hidden Falls. This very large hatchery works to provide millions of salmon every year. During this time of year though, hatcheries are inundated with millions of returning salmon eager to spawn. This area is also a very popular spot filled with lots of Brown Bears feeding on those salmon. Mama bears with up to three cubs will work hard to fatten up for their long Alaska winter hibernation. Click image to enlarge In many areas around the world with bears, on average there may be approximately 1 bear for every 50 square miles. In SE Alaska, there is 1 bear for every square mile. The food source is extremely plentiful and the bears thrive. During our 90-minute visit, we enjoyed viewing at least 18 bears during our 90-minute visit, and many were only 20 to 30 yards away, with no fences or barriers. Click image to enlarge The next morning, Thursday, we set out for Morris Reef to do some salmon fishing of our own. Like so many areas, King salmon are in serious decline. Alaska is not immune to this problem. We had hopes of finding and expectations of catching the large, fatty, delicious Chinooks. Unfortunately, the day we were leaving Juneau, Alaska Fish and Game closed the Chinook season for 2017. Their numbers are down drastically. Fortunately, the Silver Salmon, or Coho runs are still healthy. We would enjoy 2 afternoons of great fishing. I do not recall the actual numbers, but with six of us working two fishing poles, we were catching 8 to 12 pound silvers with ease. That evening before we dropped anchor, we bated and dropped our crab pots at Kadashan, near Tenakee Springs. Click image to enlarge
|
AuthorDrew Collins professional underwater photographer and environmentalist living and diving primarily in the beautiful Emerald green waters of Puget Sound near Seattle, Washington. Categories |