Waterfalls and Mountains: Red Bluff Bay, Alaska

  Baranof Island is the 10th largest island in the world, slightly larger than the state of Delaware. It was named in 1805 by the Russian Imperial Navy to honor Alexander Baranof. Sitka is located on the west side of the island, while the rest is covered in temperate rainforest and controlled mostly by the Tongass National Forest. The southern part of Baranof is my favorite, as it is designated a Wilderness area by the National Forest which gives it the highest protection in the 17 million acre forest. This week on the Safari Quest we explored a small part of this wilderness area by boat, kayak, skiff, and paddle board.

  The entrance to Red Bluff Bay faces east towards the whale-rich Frederick Sound. Red Bluff is named after the hillsides near the entrance and their distinctive reddish coloration due to the high levels of chromite. The opening to the fjord doesn't look big enough for a ship our size, but for those in the know an amazing wonderland exists inside.

Marbled Murrelets

   Waterfalls plunging hundreds of feet down the cliffs into the protected bay cascade out from the rainforest. Snow capped peaks provide the background and the meltwater for the waterfalls. Salmon make their way towards the back of the bay, which means bears also make their way to the streams. This visit we didn't see any bears but a few Sitka black-tailed deer did make an appearance.

   We anchored here in the evening just before dark. Waking up in this majestic place, surrounded by nature, and realizing that we were the only ones around..is pretty priceless, and very Alaska.