Whaling 2009

Nagai Island

Nikita Shumagin, a crew member on Bering's voyage that discovered Alaska, was the first of many to die of scurvy on the long way back to Russia. He was buried on this island, giving the Shumagin Islands their name.

The weather in SW Alaska has been stormier than average. My boss Mark and his wife Bree, a whale biologist for University of Alaska Fairbanks, flew into Sand Point from Kodiak for another year of whale surveys.


After sitting around a few days waiting on weather, we made it out for some whale chasing (permitted, of course!). Bree gave me access to her great photos, so I could share them with everyone. The whales in the photos below are all humpbacks.

Seiners fishing Red Bluff. I love getting off the docks to see the fleet hard at work. The Sand Point seine fleet has some of the largest seiners in the State.

Here's my face after throwing up 3 times. It was rough out there!



The next day was incredible weather, but I opted to stay on land while the seasick memories were still so fresh from the day before. Bree got some incredible photos!


Humpback whales are identified by the markings on their flukes. As many are cataloged as possible. Part of Bree's goal every year is to survey the Shumagins, identifying the returning and new whales in the area.
Here are a series of fin shots taken on the second day showing how distinct their flukes can be.

It's really August?!

Sand Point under the sunniest sky I've seen in two weeks.

Usually Sand Point has pretty nice summer weather--even compared to Ketchikan which is nearly the same latitude. This year, however, it seems to be reversed. It sounds like I'm missing one of the best weather years in Ketchikan's history, and catching all the rain clouds in Sand Point. I'm still in hats and gloves on the first day of August! Wow--I can't believe it's August already! The percentage of red salmon in the daily harvest has dramatically decreased, and the silvers are starting to show up. Watching the volume and percentage of salmon species in the harvest really shows the passing of summer. Here in the Southeastern District, June typically has the largest percentage of red salmon, and by August the harvest is largely pink and silver salmon. With the 20,000 fish I sample in a season, I notice even the little things, like the tightness of their scales and the firmness of their meat. This time of year, I start to see more "watermarked" fish--chum salmon that have been in or near freshwater and are starting to get their characteristic striping, pink salmon morphing into "humpies," sockeye turning into "reds." The signs of summer's end are starting to show.

Yesterday my schoolteacher friend Heather and I went for a hike despite the weather. Sometimes you just can't let the rain hold you back! With 20 days left in town, I feel an urgency to enjoy some of my favorite places and activities before I jump on a plane for the kiln-heat of Arizona and my sister's wedding. Things on my list: ocean swims, smoking salmon, a trip to Red Cove, and salmon berry picking. Somebody send me some good weather!!!