Capturing the Moment

  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. ...

Glacier in the clouds Harding Icefield   Exploring Kenai Fjords When I was 22 years old I flew from New York to Japan in what seemed to be an ever-present sunset glow. As we chased the sun around the earth I glanced outside at a frozen land with what looked like frozen rivers running through it. 13 years later I find myself finally flying over the same frozen landscape on my way to explore the Kenai Fjords National Park in Southcentral Alaska. On this peninsula nearly 40 glaciers slowly slide down from the Harding Ice Field. If Denali is Alaska's crown jewel north of Anchorage then this must be it's crown jewel to the south. And now, after working in Alaska's inside passage I have a newfound knowledge and interest in these glaciers, icefields, flora, and fauna that encompass this amazing national park. Lazy Harbor Seal   In the icy waters surrounding the peninsula we find seals, sea lions, humpback whales, orca chasing salmon under our boat, and birds of ...