Inside Passe - South-East Alaska
Whales, Grizzly Bears, Glaciers and unlimited wildlife
Southeast Alaska or better known as the “Inside Passage”, is one of the most famous spots on Earth for both wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery.
The Alaskan Wilderness offers opportunities for close encounters with Grizzly Bears at Pack Creek, observing bubble net feeding Humpback whales, foraging orcas, Steller sea lions, Bald Eagles, and many other animals.
The Scenery is spectacular with snow-capped mountains, Glaciers, Fjords with floating ice, meadows with beautiful flowers and abundant wildlife and temperate rainforest of the Tongass National Forest.
Breathtaking landscape sceneries in South-East Alaska
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Marine Life in South-East Alaska
Humpback Whales, Orcas, Steller Sea Lions, Dall's Porpoise and more….
Alaska has an abundant and very diversified marine life. Unless you are a diver, the sightings are limited to what you can observe on the surface. But that is already unique and amazing. Many species of marine mammals are commonly seen. Humpback whale, the Minke whale, Fin and Blue-Whale, the Orca or Killer Whale, Dall’s Porpoises, Seals are just a few of the cetaceans to observe in the waters of the Inside Passage. But there are also many species of seabirds like the majestic Bald Eagles or Ruddy Turnstones. All these magnificent wild animals show different behaviours like bubble net feeding, breaching, foraging, fishing and other interesting behavioral patterns.
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Grizzly Bears and other wildlife
The Tongass National Forest in South-East Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States and covers most of South-East Alaska, surrounding the famous Inside Passage. Tongass is the name given by the Tlingit Indians who live here. In some places there are unique opportunities to observe the amazing brown bears. Pack Creek in the vicinity of Windfall Harbor on Admirality Island, is such a place, where the grizzlys don't bother about the presence of humans and their natural behavior can be observed. The Park Rangers ensure only that visitors to this area follow the strict rules. With some chance you can watch the Grizzly Bears catching salmon.
Because this is the home of the Grizzly bears, the Tinglit Indians called the area "Kootznoowoo", which means "fortress of the bears".
In South-east Alaska, however, many other wild animals and wild plants can be observed and photographed in a unique natural habitat.
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Glaciers, icefields and icebergs
When you tell someone you were in Alaska, almost everyone thinks of coldness, snow and ice. It is difficult to convey that this is actually not entirely true, although a big part of Alaska is covered by deep layers of ice and snow. Icefields are an accumulation of snow increasing in time. When the ice starts to flow due to gravity you speak of glaciers. The bubbles of air inside the ice gives it the white colour. When the own weight of the ice presses out the air, the colour turns into different hues of blue.
Icebergs are huge compressed masses of ice braking away from the glaciers known ass calving. They are majestic giant natural sculptures different in size, shape and colour. The age of the ice can be to 15.000 years old, like the presence of humans.
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Cultural Life in Alaska
Honestly, I have to admit that the time I was traveling through Alaska, I was more focussed to the scenery and the wildlife than to cultural life. But that's a big mistake. Alaska has a rich cultural heritage and traditions be it through native people with their artwork as well as the recent history. Many expatriates and artists now have their home and enrich the life in Alaska.
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