Today we woke up to witness one of the most spectacular landscapes of Southeast Alaska. Red Bluff Bay is a scenic bay located on Baranof Island. The red rocks after which that place is named contain certain elements that stunt the growth of most plants exposing the beautiful red color. Here we peeked into the bay to scan the shorelines for wildlife while surrounded by waterfalls and wonderful scenery. At the end of the bay we found our first coastal brown bear of the trip. With binoculars and scope, we could see the large creature feeding on sedges at the meadow where the bay ends.
For the afternoon, we visited Lake Eva, also at Baranof Island. Through our forest walks we discovered the secrets of the temperate rain forest. We hiked to a river where we could see the first big schools of pink salmon that have begun their spawning rituals. A river otter dove by the circling school of fish in perfectly clear water and disappeared back into the forest. Suddenly, a brown bear came out of the woods and swam towards the salmon right in front of our eyes! The young bear was hoping for a protein-rich meal, but these salmon are still in too good of shape to become an easy prey. We had amazing views of the bear as it swam in the river and went back out. The bear walked through logs and disappeared in the woods to come back out and go back in the water.
This kind of experience is not something that that happens every day. We realized how lucky we are to be witnesses of the wild essence of the forests that surround us. The forests of Southeast Alaska are home to brown bears, totemic creatures that represent an ecosystem that is alive and primitive as natural places should be.
