Stellar Sea Lion Research Trip

Following our Summer Solstice trip, Ursa Major was the mothership for an Alaska Department of Fish and Game Stellar Sea Lion research trip in southeast Alaska.  Over the course of the 16-day trip, we traveled to a wide variety of Stellar Sea Lion haulout and rookery sites, some of which were new to us, and very much off the beaten path of our usual cruising grounds amongst the beautiful islands of southeast Alaska.  It was an amazing trip for everyone!

 The Alaska Department of Fish and Game crew!

Summer Solstice in Tracy Arm/Ford's Terror Wilderness Area, Alaska

Our annual Summer Solstice trip brought us to Tracy Arm/Ford's Terror Wilderness Area for paddling amongst the floating ice.  We visited North and South Sawyer Glaciers in Tracy Arm with our guests for the week, George and Polly, celebrating their honeymoon aboard Ursa Major.

George and Polly are seen here relaxing in the Alaskan sunshine in Frederick Sound, where an enthusiastic group of 25-30 humpback whales joined us for lunch.  While George and Polly enjoyed Alaskan B.L.A.T. sandwiches on the sundeck of Ursa Major, the humpback whales were observed feeding via single bubble net.   

George and Polly spent hours on the bow of Ursa Major photographing wildlife such as humpback whales, Dall’s porpoise, Stellar sea lions, harbor porpoise, harbor seals, and a wide variety of birds.

Humpback Whales Bubble Net Feeding

We saw our very first humpback whales bubble net feeding of the season last week aboard Ursa Major!  There were six individuals working together via social cues to collectively herd herring.  Before emerging from the water as a group, these humpback whales exhaled air from their blowholes as they swam in a spiral formation.  The trapped exhaled air forms a roughly cylindrical bubble net, or trap.  In the above photo, the humpback whales are emerging from the water after following their bubble net to the surface in an attempt to catch as much herring as possible in one gulp.  For more information on humpback whales in Alaska, please visit the website of the Alaska Whale Foundation, (a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of Alaskan marine mammals), by clicking HERE.

 

Our guests on this week's trip, Scott and Joan, of Vancouver, Washington, seen here at Kasnyku Falls, near the Hidden Falls Hatchery on Baranof Island, Alaska.

 

After three weeks of hanging the hummingbird feeder on Ursa Major, we saw our first rufous hummingbirds of the season.  We encountered a "swarm" of them  in Warm Springs Bay, Baranof Island, and enjoyed watching them battle one another and empty the feeder multiple times.

 

Rufous hummingbirds migrate north to southeast Alaska in the late spring/early summer from Mexico, and usually leave Alaska by September to migrate back to Mexico for the winter.  They remain in southeast Alaska long enough to enjoy the short bloom cycle of the wild flowers here in the summer.

Ursa Major Red Bluff Bay

The Waterfall Coast of Baranof Island

We just wrapped up a truly amazing trip to the Waterfall Coast of Baranof Island, and to Tracy Arm to view calving glaciers.  Our guests this week on Ursa Major were from New Zealand and Australia, and we enjoyed beautiful paddles, hikes, and hot springs.

Sawyer Glacier, Tracy Arm, Alaska with our guests Bev, Gordon, Shan, and Tony

Takatz Bay, one of many beautiful anchorages on the Waterfall Coast of Baranof Island

 Paddling in Ushk Bay, Peril Straight, with Gordon and Bev

Hiking in the Brothers Islands, Stevens Passage, on our trip last week

 

Petersburg, Alaska with Tony and Shan

Ursa Major returns to Alaska!!!

Our early May arrival in Alaska for our charter season allowed us to experience the best of the early summer here, including the Little Norway Festival in Petersburg, Alaska, and the Memorial Day celebrations in Sitka, Alaska.  Petersburg and Sitka are two of our favorite towns in southeast Alaska, and we utilize both towns our departure and arrival points for our charters.

 We made our Alaska landfall aboard Ursa Major in Ketchikan, Alaska

Little Norway Festival; May 14-17, 2015; Petersburg, Alaska

 

 Little Norway Festival; May 14-17, 2015; Petersburg, Alaska

 Little Norway Festival "Lop the Loop" 7K Run; May 14-17, 2015; Petersburg, Alaska

Little Norway Festival "Lop the Loop" 7K Run; May 14-17, 2015; Petersburg, Alaska

Sitka, Alaska this morning with Mt. Edgecombe in the background

Our Favorite Alaskan Brown Bear Photos

These are some of our favorite photos of Alaskan Brown Bears, all of which were taken from Ursa Major.  The cubs in photo #1 should be full grown this year.  We’ll may see these guys again in Red Bluff Bay, Baranoff Island, Alaska.

Alaskan Brown Bear, with 2, 2 year old cubs.  Her cubs have grown to nearly her size.  They will on their own after 2-4 years with their mom.

Brown bears are always aware of their surroundings.  A brown bear will stand either to intimidate or to better see any threats around them.

He may be thinking he can catch that seagull.  No one would blame him for taking an easy snack.  The seagull can’t taste as good as salmon, but you take what you can get.

The Brown bear is a powerful swimmer.  They will cross streams, bays and even much larger bodies of water as they roam, looking for the first salmon runs of the year.

Brown Bear, eating salad before the main course, salmon!  Early in the summer bears will forage on grasses and berries as they wait for the salmon to arrive.

Brown Bear swimming in Red Bluff Bay, Alaska.  This healthy, fat bear is standing in 6-8 ft. of water, and is well insulated for the cold Alaskan waters. 

Alaskan Brown Bear.  No salmon in this stream yet, better luck tomorrow.

Birding in Alaska

It’s about that time of year again here in western Washington.  We beginning to see migratory birds resting and feeding here on their way to Alaska.  The Ursa Major won’t be far behind them as we head north to Alaska from Seattle on May 1.

Two bird species of interest that come to mind as more permanent to southeast Alaska are the black oystercatcher, (seen in the above photo), and pigeon guillemot.  Neither bird is considered as glamorous as the bald eagle, or the elusive tufted or horned puffins we find in southeast Alaska, but they remain among our favorite bird species to observe.

Both the black oystercatcher and pigeon guillemot have their place in the food web in southeast Alaska, and we see them often from the Ursa Major (and our sea kayaks!) on the rocky shores of the islands of Frederick Sound, (north of Petersburg).  In the case of the black oystercatcher, its long, sharp orange bill is used to extract delicious creatures (such as oysters) from the rocky intertidal zone, providing an abundance of food for this keen bird.

Pigeon guillemots on the other hand, (seen in the above photo), have black and white bodies, with bright orange feet.  They appear as awkward fliers when they initially are attempting a water launch, but are effective and graceful swimmers as they search for bait fish and other food near their nests.  Pigeon guillemots typically nest above the high tide mark on rocky shores to have the best perspective on both prey and predators.  At night, they typically call out to each other, and their gentle voices make for some of the best sounds to fall asleep to.

On a side note, we also see two migratory hummingbirds species in southeast Alaska in the summer, the rufous and Anna’s hummingbird (less common).  The above photo of two male rufous hummingbirds visiting our hummingbird feeder aboard Ursa Major was taken during a fight over the feeder. Rufous hummingbirds do not remain in southeast Alaska long after their arrival in late May, with the females and their young departing as early as July for their winter grounds in Mexico, followed by the males in mid-August.

Stellar (Northern) Sea Lions at Play

Stellar sea lions, also known as Northern sea lions, are regulars on our marine mammal species list aboard Ursa Major.  Named by the Germain naturalist George Wilhelm Stellar, (a member of Vitus Bering's expedition party to Alaska in 1741), these opportunistic feeders consume a wide variety of fish, as well as squid and shrimp.  Seen here at their rookery in the Brothers' Islands in Stevens Passage, Stellar sea lions are preyed upon by killer whales (orca), sharks, and humans. 

From the Ursa Major, we have seen killer whales in the waters adjacent to this rookery, which causes a stampede of Stellar sea lions as they all race for higher ground!

Killer Whales (Orca) in southeast Alaska

One of the highlights of spending our summers aboard Ursa Major in beautiful southeast Alaska is the occasional killer whale (orca) viewing.  The male killer whale seen here was putting on quite the show when we saw him in 2013.  He was traveling in a small group of killer whales, (five individuals total), known as a transient pod.  

Transient pods of killer whales migrate in small groups over great distances throughout the waters of Alaska in search of their favorite food, (other marine mammals such as Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and Dall's porpoises).   The transient pods are famous for taking down their prey in enthusiastic displays of both playfullness and dominance. 

In contrast, resident pods of killer whales are known for forming large family and social groups, rarely migrating outside their home waters, and feeding mostly on small fish.  

Ursa Major is returning to Alaska in 2015!

We are proud to announce that Ursa Major will be returning to Alaska in 2015 for our 15th season, and we have a BRAND NEW WEBSITE for Ursa Major Charters!
  

Included in the new website is our updated 2015 SCHEDULE, as well as new information on our different types of trips available (Sea Kayaking Adventures, Wildlife and Photography, and Trawler Training) and new photo galleries.

Sea Kayaking in Alaska aboard Ursa Major

 

Diane, John, and Sheila hiking ashore at Saginaw Bay, Alaska