7/9/2024 - 7/15/2024
7/9/2024 We left Sitka in the rain and traveled north along Olga Strait and through Sergius Narrows to Deep Bay. Sergius Narrows is a challenging spot with currents that can reach six knots and so must be timed and navigated wisely. The most restricted part of the channel is 145 yards wide for about 1/3 of a mile. Sergius has rip tides and turbulence that can be very dangerous, except near slack water. Our three captains consulted tide charts and all agreed on the timing to enter Sergius at slack. We started off and were soon joined by at least three other boats heading the same direction who had all come to the same conclusion on slack water timing. Well, we were all wrong. We expected to have a small head current arriving about thirty minutes before predicted slack current. What we found was a very strong push (almost three knots), which means slack had occurred about an hour earlier.
7/9/2024 We stopped for the night in Deep Bay on Chicagof Island. It rained a lot. Not much else to say about this spot.
7/10/2024 Our next stop was ELL Cove on Baranof Island. This is a very protected L-shaped cove that gave us two nights of calmness at anchor.
I found the reading material for the walking tour very interesting and have included it here for your enjoyment. If this is too much text for you then just jump down to the next picture and keep watching for more bear pics!
DOCKING FACILITIES
Welcome to Hidden Falls Hatchery. This facility was constructed in 1978-79 by the
Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The facility was operated by the State until 1988
when operational responsibility was contracted to the Northern Southeast Regional
Aquaculture Association (NSRAA). NSRAA currently operates 3 hatcheries on Baranof
Island, and a number of remote rearing projects. Hidden Falls Hatchery has continued
to grow over the years and is currently NSRAA’s largest facility, producing over 105
million fry and smolt annually. The dock you are now standing on was completed in the
fall of 2013. Please proceed up the ramp onto the pier, and continue down the gravel
road, taking the path on the right by the round ponds which leads to the next stop on
your tour, the Hidden Falls weir. There is a roped off area to view the weir. Please stay
within the area and do not attempt to cross the weir. Be advised that there could be
bears close to the weir, on either side of the concrete barrier. Check below the hillside
before allowing guests to approach.
This is the outlet of Hidden Falls Lake and where all of the returning adult salmon will
be trying to get to. The first fish to return to Hidden Falls each year are the Chinook
salmon. They begin entering the area in late May and we typically allow our broodstock
to pass through the weir and into our freshwater lagoon in mid to late June. The net that
stretches across the lagoon is there to keep the fish from getting into the creek on the
other side, the location they would naturally try to head towards. If you look into that
area you may see some dark black to dark red fish slowly swimming around, those are
our Chinook broodstock. Broodstock refers to the fish needed to propagate the next
generation of fry. Though the Chinook return early they are typically not mature and
ready to spawn until mid-August. When the Chum salmon begin to return, typically in
mid-June, we deploy a large barrier net across the points of the inner bay. If the net was
not in place during the peak of the run, we could potentially end up with over a million
fish trying to get into the lagoon. The purpose of this facility is to provide increased
fishing opportunity for the commercial fleet. Therefore, we only want to secure enough
broodstock to reach our goals. The fishery is managed to provide all surplus to the
commercial fleet. We use both seine gear and a volitional fish lead to place over 190,000
chum salmon inside the inner bay throughout the run. When the fish mature they will
begin to push at the weir to get in, and we will allow roughly 10,000 fish in per day.
After entering the freshwater lagoon, the Chum salmon will quickly make their way up
the fish ladder.
FISH WEIR
Proceed down the road towards the back of the facility. You can point out the two lines
running down the hillside. They are the two penstocks (water delivered from lake to
hatchery) that feed the facility from Hidden Falls Lake. The lake is about 200 feet deep
and the head pressure generated from the elevation is used to power the facility through
a hydro turbine generator located to your left on the raised hill.
FISH LADDER
Stop at the top end of the fish ladder for observation. From mid-July to mid-August this
ladder will be on and fish will be passing up it. The ladder simulates eddies and allows
for holding areas as the fish make their way “upstream”. At the top of the ladder the fish
enter into holding raceways to be processed in the spawning area.
Proceed back to the road and turn right towards the spawning shed. If staff are working
in this area there will be heavy equipment driving back and forth. Please exercise
caution and keep your tour group in a safe location. If there is a conveyor belt running,
you can observe the carcasses of fish that have already been spawned being loaded into
totes for transport to a fishing tender for sale and future processing.
SPAWNING SHED
The raceways behind the spawning area can hold close to 10,000 fish. During the peak
of the Chum salmon run these will be full every morning. Staff will work until they go
through all fish for the day to ensure the egg quality remains high. The fish are crowded
up to the front of the raceway and lifted into a central tank. In this tank they are
anesthetized with electricity and then brought up to a sorting table. The fish are sorted
by sex and species and proceed to individual areas for spawning. All pacific salmon
naturally die after spawning, so the females are cut open with a small gut hook and the
eggs from 5 females are mixed with the sperm from 3 males to ensure good genetic
diversity. Fertilization of the eggs happens almost immediately. They are then brought
by 5 gallon bucket load into the incubation room, rinsed clean, and placed into vertical
upwelling tanks to begin to develop. Chum salmon have on average 2,000 eggs per
female. Each bucket contains 40,000 eggs. Our total goal for Chum salmon is 190
million eggs, and we are capable of taking over 10 million per day.
CHINOOK PONDS
Behind the spawnshed and raceways you can see 14 green round ponds. These ponds
contain the years production of Chinook salmon. These fish were spawned last August,
hatched out over the winter, and have been eating a diet of fish feed since February. The
Chinook will remain in these ponds until the early spring, at which point they will be
pumped into the holding pens that are located adjacent to the dock. The fish will be
raised in saltwater for 1 to 2 months before being released in May. Chinook spend
between 2-5 years in the ocean before maturing and returning to spawn. The majority of
Chinook return as 5 year old fish.
MAIN CHUM INCUBATION
Behind the spawnshed and raceways you can see 14 green round ponds. These ponds
contain the years production of Chinook salmon. These fish were spawned last August,
hatched out over the winter, and have been eating a diet of fish feed since February. The
Chinook will remain in these ponds until the early spring, at which point they will be
pumped into the holding pens that are located adjacent to the dock. The fish will be
raised in saltwater for 1 to 2 months before being released in May. Chinook spend
between 2-5 years in the ocean before maturing and returning to spawn. The majority of
Chinook return as 5 year old fish.
COHO PONDS
The remaining 2 banks of ponds hold most of the Coho salmon production for the year.
A portion of these fish will be transferred to saltwater in the fall much like the Chinook,
and the remaining fish will be split into all available ponds to be reared in fresh water
until next spring, when they will be acclimated in sea water and released. Coho only
spend about 16 months in the ocean before returning as adults. They are only 3 year olds
when they return but already average 8lbs or more, which is indicative of their
aggressive nature and can make them quite easy to catch when sport fishing.
What a fun tour. We learned a lot about the fish hatchery and how it is having impact on the sustainability of the salmon industry in this area. They were anticipating Chum opening day on Saturday or Sunday so there were commercial fishing boats everywhere.
After our amazing fish tour (which we had to remind ourselves was not a bear tour) we were enjoying the afternoon back in ELL Cove. A humpback whale swam through the cove and spent some time feeding and moving slowly through the cove. We had some concerns about it tangling in our anchors, but he seems like a pro.
Another boat in the cove told us that the whale feeding was a good sign that there might be halibut in the cove. Phil and Annette decided to test this out. Phil caught another halibut and this time he kept it.
Ell Cove proved to be pretty amazing. How do you beat fish hatchery tour, bears, eagles, and whales all in one day? But we must move on, Baranof Warm Springs is our next stop.
7/12/2024 - 7/15/2024 Baranof Warm Springs
Baranof Warm Springs, located in the heart of the Tongass National Forest in Sitka, Alaska, is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. The natural hot springs are a popular destination for locals and visitors, offering a relaxing retreat amid the rugged Alaskan wilderness. The history of Baranof Warm Springs dates back to the Tlingit people, who used the area for healing and spiritual ceremonies. Later, Russian explorers and American settlers discovered the springs and built cabins and lodges to accommodate travelers. Today, Baranof Warm Springs remains a beloved destination for those seeking to soak in the therapeutic waters and immerse themselves in Alaska’s rich cultural and natural heritage. (https://hotspringhunt.com/hot-springs/alaska/baranof-hot-springs-stika).
Our plan was to stay in Baranof Warm Springs for two nights and then continue on our way. However, a significant storm was predicted with 20 knot winds and 35 knot gusts. We decided to stay tied up to the dock in this very protected bay while the storm passed. On day two the fishing fleet left so we had easier access to the tubs. Day three we could see waves and white caps past the mouth of the bay.
7/16/2024 The weather has finally improved enough for us to move on to our next stop. We didn’t intend to spend four days in Warm Springs, but I can say this was an enjoyable place to be “stuck”. This bay is very protected. We could see the bay opening through binoculars and could see white caps and five foot waves just outside the bay mouth. We had some bouncy water as the waves rolled down the bay, but all in all, very good place to wait.
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