Cruising the Pacific Northwest, San Juan Islands, British Columbia & Alaska: August 6 , 2013 - Departed Juneau to Tracy Arm - August 7

After the family departed for home we drove to Juneau and provisioned

for our passage south.

In the morning we headed for Tracy Arm from Auk Bay.

Once in the inlet we encountered beautiful icebergs. This one looked like a "Victorian woman's head with her hair blowing in the wind"

Sawyer Glacier is 30 miles away up a narrow Fjord called Tracy Arm where the huge chunks of ice calve from the face of the glacier.

It is said that 75 per cent of the iceberg is under the surface.

We anchor for the night in "No Name Cove" just inside the beginning of the inlet.

We enjoy a tasty dinner of "Tacos"

In the morning we depart for Kake a small Tlingit village to see the wild black bears feasting on spawning Salmon. I stand at my favorite place on the bow searching for whales. To our delight, this wonderful creature was curious about us and swam along side for quite awhile. Finally after a deep breath, the Humpback Whale dove under Seventh Heaven.

Soon we are surrounded by a pod of Humpback Whales

They came very close to Seventh Heaven and would stay on the surface for a long time
as if they were curious about just exactly who we are.

Then they take a huge breath of air and dive deep below the surface.

Kake is a very small community. This Totem represents the Raven and the Eagle clans and tells the story of the "Trickster Raven" who is very smart and clever. The top part of the Totem tells the story of how Raven has stolen the sun.

The Gunnuk River is choked with spawning salmon. The protruding jaw and teeth develop in the male when salmon return from the ocean into fresh water rivers and creeks.

Depending on the month in July, August, September, November, December and into Janury determinines if Chums, Pinks or Coho Salmon enter the river to spawn. In the natural cycle all things benefit from this miricle of Nature. At the top of the food chaim is of course Man, then Bears and small mammals and birds of all kinds. The land is also fertilized and Salmon DNA has been found as much as two miles away from a river in plants and trees. It is an incrediable thing to see this "Cycle of Life" first hand.