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Every spring, the Inside Passage rewards visitors with amazing spectacles of wildlife activity! As the weather warms and the ice moves out, the herring and eulachon run, attracting eagles, bears and sea mammals. Ice fields and tidewater glaciers add to the mystic diversity and stunning scenery. Southeast Alaska, the ‘panhandle’ portion of the state, is made up of the Alexander Archipelago and a strip of mainland bordering British Columbia and Yukon Territories. Nearly all of its 40,000 sq. miles is comprised of the Tongass National Forest—the largest U.S. National Forest and a major part of the world’s largest remaining temperate rain forest. Accessible only by air or boat, this remote region has a sparse human population of about 70,000 located in a handful of scattered towns and villages. Rich in visible wildlife—bear, moose, sea lions, seabirds, and so much more—it’s a rare place where the population ratio of people to bears is about 2 to 1. This was renowned naturalist, John Muir’s, favorite place! Alaska Sea Adventures is proud to present a trilogy of exciting, exclusive spring trips. Call to book your cabin now because space is limited on each of these trips. We’ll see you on the Alaska Adventurer as we all take part in the exciting Spring Extravaganza, my favorite time of year! Captain Dennis Rogers

Articles in this issue: Introduction Letter from Captain Dennis A Photographer's Dream! Spring Extravaganza - Trilogy of Spring Trips 2008 Available Dates ASA Marine Debris Clean-up Featured Petersburg Lodging Recipe - Black Cod Sake Kasu A very nice printable version of this newsletter that can be read in entirety or saved for reference is available here: FallASANewsletter2007.pdf (1.4MB)

Considered one of the last truly wild rivers in North America, the Stikine River drains a rugged pristine area east of the Coast Mountains, cutting a fastflowing course in deep glacier-lined gorges to empty into an inlet in the Alexander Archipelago.

Nature photographer and naturalist Kevin Loughlin has been organizing and leading birding and photo tours in the Americas since 1993. His images and/or articles have been seen in numerous newspapers, Audubon, Wildbird and Philadelphia Magazines as well as the Take A Walk series of books to help educate children about the natural world.

The name of the river comes from its Tlingit name Shtax’ Héen, meaning “cloudy river.” The Stikine enters Frederick Sound across from Mitkof Island. Its shallow delta offers huge mud flats at low tide, inviting migratory shorebirds to stop and feed. As the river ice breaks up during the warming trend in April, the eulachon spawning run begins. Locally know as “hooligans” these small, fat-rich fish attract Bald Eagles by the thousands for the largest Springtime gathering of eagles anywhere!

We will explore the Stikine’s shallow delta and venture upriver via Jetboat to discover incredible wildlife photography opportunities. Eagles, moose, sea lions and many species of waterfowl will grace our lenses... all with the spectacular backdrop of Southeast Alaska’s pristine Inside Passage scenery!

Trip I: Stikine River Eagles with Wildside Tours & Kevin Loughlin From our base aboard the Alaska Adventurer, we will also visit the quaint island community of Wrangell. Here we will search for ancient rock art along the rugged coastline.

Just north of the mouth of the Stikine lies the entrance to LeConte Bay. At low tide, stranded icebergs become a surreal landscape calling for wide angle lenses and a creative eye. We will venture to the source of these icebergs—LeConte Glacier... the fastest moving river of ice in North America! Join us on this incredible eagle and ice filled photographic journey!

Six people only - be one of the few on this exclusive trip!

This trip, which is guided by wildlife photographer Kevin Loughlin of Wildside Tours, is limited to a select group of six persons only and departs from the lovely seaside port of Sitka on April 21st and returns to the quaint fishing town of Petersburg April 28th where the group will have an additional day to explore Petersburg and Mitkof Island.

Hoonah Sound is located about 30 miles north of Sitka within a scenic, sheltered area of southern Chichagof Island. This is the setting for a truly remarkable springtime event. We’ll find sea otters, humpback whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagles a host of gulls and a myriad of sea birds all waiting for that special moment – the annual arrival of the Pacific herring! The herring have gathered here in astonishing numbers to lay their eggs within the rich protected intertidal areas of the Alaska Inside Passage shoreline in the very locations selected long ago and used over eons of time. With the arrival of the herring, there is an amazing festival of wildlife.

The scenes of sea otters lazily floating in a spectacular setting, humpback whales performing the rare cooperative ‘bubble-net’ feeding lunges as they gorge on herring, bald eagles diving with talons outstretched to capture the shallow swimming herring, seals and sea lions rushing through great schools of herring gathered along the shoreline and a host of other birds all present to take part in a bountiful annual feast, are thrilling indeed.

Hoonah Sound is also the location of a unique commercial fishery. The herring spawn-on-kelp fishery produces a beautiful appearing delicacy extremely prized in Japan known as Kazunoko Konbu. The fishery is a rare sight to behold as tons of herring are held by the fishermen in net compounds until the egg laden herring delicately apply their ripe eggs to the kelp leaves suspended in the enclosure. The long kelp fronds covered in thick golden herring eggs create the specialty seafood Kazunoko Konbu, a very succulent expensive treat.

Spring but comes just once a year. Be one of the very few to witness this event. Book now for this thrilling trip, Spring Extravaganza 2008!

Imagine observing a developing scenario of huge schools of Pacific herring by the thousands of tons gathering along a spectacular Alaska shoreline waiting for their eggs to ripen and climatic conditions to become just right for them to spawn their eggs.

Pacific herring are the center of attention as this drama unfolds attracting a host of amazing wildlife that creates an incredible show of nature as predator pursues prey along a beautiful isolated Alaska shoreline. The high caloric, oilrich herring are a critical part of the diet for humpback whales, orca, harbor seals, bald eagles plus a myriad of gulls and sea birds that require highly nutritious fish to replenish body reserves severely exhausted through winter survival.

While the eagles soar and circle overhead, Steller sea lions and humpback whales cruise near the shoreline before rushing and lunging through the huge schools of herring gathering there…

You can witness all of the action just off the bow and capture images close up of this magnificent annual spring time festival of nature!

People search the world over for unique locations and amazing events. Alaska Sea Adventures is proud to offer these exciting, exclusive spring cruises. Secure your place aboard the Alaska Adventurer for this amazing Alaska spring festival of nature - a SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA!

This exclusive trip, which is guided by wildlife photographer Kevin Loughlin of Wildside Tours, is limited to a select group of six persons.