Beautiful Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, Alaska

 

Absolutely stunning kayak conditions this morning in Geographic Harbor. Last time I was here, all we saw was rain and fog. We had no idea about all these majestic mountains and beautiful views. And anytime the water is calm enough to see reflections of the landscape and sky, it is a day for kayking!

The first time I explored Geographic Harbor, in Katmai National Park, it was rainy and foggy. We took our small boats around, looking for wildlife, but mostly just got pelted with rain. I knew from my research that this spot was supposed to be a real gem, with natural beauty all around, but I couldn't see it. This time, Geographic Harbor really showed off its stuff.

Named after the National Geographic Society, this part of Katmai National Park is seldom visited. It is remote, and has no road access. This is the perfect place for us to visit with the expedition ship, Safari Explorer. We motored the boat all the way to the back bay, through a narrow entrance cut. The entire back bay was surrounded by snowy mountains and incredible vistas. The mountains were reflected by the calm, protected water.

As we were getting our kayak group ready on the back deck, a brown bear emerged along the shoreline. It must have gotten a little too close to an eagle's nest, as a bald eagle started dive bombing the bear's head! I had never seen that before. The bear ducked every time the eagle flew near, and eventually ambled off into the dense alder forest, never to reappear.

While we didn't see any bears on our kayak, we did have one of the most peaceful, and beautiful kayaks of the trip. The photos were spectacular, with the reflections of the landscape in the water. We paddle by islands made of columnar basalt, and river deltas that reminded me of white Hawaiian sandy beaches. A flock of dozens of common mergansers flew off as we got near, and forest birds sang at us from the trees as we passed. It was a magical morning, exploring a remote corner of Katmai National Park, here in Alaska.

The bald eagle looks down into its huge nest as we drift quietly by.

Bald eagle, looking pretty regal after fending off a brown bear that got too close to its nest.

We caught a glimpse of this bear from afar, but unfortunately the eagle on the right scared him off by dive bombing his head.

Smooth calm waters and reflections of mountains make for a serene scene here in Geographic Harbor.

Paddling around each corner provided surprises in the scenery. Kayaks are a great mode of exploration in the shallow back bays of Alaska.

The shallow river deltas deposited fine grained white sediment at their mouths, making the scene feel a bit like Hawaii....but with snow capped peaks in the distance.

We kayaked around both back bays of Geographic Harbor, totaling around 4.5 miles by the end of our paddle.

Not many people make it to this part of the world. We are a plane ride away from the nearest town center and there are no roads. You need to be pretty self-sufficient to find your way out here.

My group coming around the corner of a tall island, formed by volcanic activity and basalt.

Everywhere we looked, the views were awe-inspiring.

We went slow and took our time, not wanting to rush our kayak experience on this beautiful day in Geographic Harbor.

Gliding past the columnar basalt of the middle island in the back bay of Geographic Harbor.