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The Patina Journal - Alaskan Expedition Artist Blog

An Artist's View of Wild Alaska

Harbor Seals huddled on ice in the water

Friend,


     Through years of outdoor experiences, I have learned to enjoy the serendipity of every adventure. Each time I go out I am sure we will see something I had not planned. Our Natural world is so vast and complex that there is always more to see and learn, about how the different animals interact with each other and the environment.


     I’m sitting on the bank of the Kenai River listening to nature's own music. I hear many Gulls loud laughing cries, the chatter of Bald eagles, the splashing of salmon leaping as they swim away from an occasional harbor seal, the wind blowing through the tall trees, and always the deep rumble from the cloudy blue-green glacial water rushing past me as it works its way from the Harding Ice Field, down glaciers, passing through lakes and rivers out to the Cook Inlet and beyond. From this beautiful place, I will recall my latest adventure for you.


     Our adventure began early in the morning boarding a small ship in the harbor of Seward, Alaska. I was looking forward to sharing the day with my family on the cold waters of the North Pacific hoping to see the magnificent humpback whales as they cooperatively bubble-feed on herring, a very rare behavior.


   In the Gulf of Alaska, you never know what you are going to find. On the way out of Resurrection Bay, we encountered a Nanny mountain goat with her kid on the steep hillsides, I was not expecting to see them but it speaks to how harsh and steep the mountains are that fall directly into the deep waters.


  Shortly after, we spotted a few Sea otters, floating on their back, nursing their young on their bellies. I observed many types of sea birds I will do a separate post!


     After two hours of zipping along the water, we arrive at the Criswell Islands. From our small ship, we saw large numbers of gulls circling the water over spouting whales! At first, they seemed far away, viewing them with the engine off, they were about 2 football fields away.     


whales above water surrounded by birds

We counted about 6 large humpback whale heads bursting up from above, hearing them groan and breathe in the distance. It really sent the hair up on the back of my neck! I was astonished to see they were swimming directly toward our boat. The birds swarmed around like angry bees until all at once the whales burst up so close to us, all around our boat, we smelled the breath of the whales.


It was incredible! The whales were using our vessel to direct the fish, we were used as a tool in their feeding. My family and I were over the moon. I wonder what the ocean will share with us next.


     We spotted a family hurd of stellar sea lions, the male was holding his head high in the air and roaring in a proud stance.


          We voyaged on into Harris Bay where the air got noticeably colder. We crossed over the partially blocked remnants of a glacial moraine, basically, a sandbar that was located at the terminal end where the glacial ice met the waters of  Harris Bay. a large shallow that almost cuts off the bay, leaving only one small area for the boat to go through, this geographic feature also creates a narrow environment where Orca (Killer Whale) are uncomfortable crossing into the fjord. We were looking for Harbor Seals on the glacial ice. Killer whales and sharks are the primary predators of the Harbor seal. On this particular day, we will soon see firsthand evidence that killer whales earn their names. 

a humpback whale fluke

 As we continue motoring towards the glacier, it becomes apparent that this is a sanctuary for the Harbor Seals. The cold nutrient-dense water in the fjord creates the perfect environment for an abundance of small fish, which the seals pray on. The harbor seals are numerous. We watch them swimming in the water and then hauling out on the ice packs, which are now surrounding our boat. An adult Harbor seal weighs between 180 and 285 pounds. To maintain their body temperature in this subfreezing environment they must eat 80% of their body weight each day.


     As I photograph and film the seals in slow-motion mode, I am overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this environment. The glacier comes right down to the sea. Its towering mass almost as far as I can see, is a sight to behold. There must be 100 different shades of blue in the ice structures coming down the mountain as well as the ice packs floating by us. Many times as we floated near we heard cracking that sounded like thunder, reverberating off the hard rock and ice walls of the fjord. This was an experience for all my senses.


Harbor Seals huddled on ice in the water

 Northwestern Glacier was named after the university in 1909. It is located just under 30 miles from Seward. Back in 1909, the terminus end of the glacier (the place it meets the water) was 164 feet tall, and 6.2 miles from where it is today. Although a fraction of its original size, it is breathtakingly beautiful!


     As we work our way back to the docks in Seward, Another twist in the serendipity of our trip we come across something sad yet fascinating. We approach the white decaying body of a young humpback whale floating in the water. As we circle downwind of the whale, the smell is overwhelming. Our Captain explains this was likely done by Killer Whales. Top predators are an extremely important position to any ecosystem, ensuring only the fittest survive and keeping a balance between lesser predators like the Humpback Whales from overfishing the food supply. While we observed the remains of the calf, I explained to my daughter, that we can’t judge them. We need only to judge how well all mankind is doing our role. This was a good learning lesson not just for my children but to remind myself, that we all need to do our part and do all that we can.

 

     Our captain Brian explained to us the ecological phenomenon known as “whale fall”. When a whale dies, it will float for a while as the gases inside its body expand. It will be partially eaten by large predators such as sharks and other fish on the surface. After the organs open, The carcass will then sink to the ocean floor, often to very great depths perhaps thousands of meters. Resting on the ocean floor, the decaying whale will create an environment for many different types of animal life to feed and flourish. There are even specific species that only eat decaying whalebone! These events take place hundreds of times a year, all over the world's oceans, and are an integral part of the ecology of the ocean.

 

     Interesting fact, Scientists have been studying a single whale fall off the Monterey coast of California for decades. This is possible because of the high pressure and extremely cold temperature of the deep sea slow down the decomposition.

 

     We returned to Seward. With our boat safely docked at the harbor, we continue our journey with a quick visit to the Seward Sea Life Center, and then the 2-hour drive home. A long day, but with 20 or so hours of daylight, each day seems to never end.

 

     There may be some serendipity in this writing as I share my experiences with you, Harbor seals and Whale Falls may not be as glamorous as the magnificent humpback whale, but as everything is interconnected, I hope you find this as fascinating as I do.

 

     Reflecting upon all I’ve seen and experienced I will do my best to express my emotions through canvas and oil paint as well as modeling clay to bronze, as I re-create the experience in art. Please click on the links in this artist blog to see the art this day inspired.


Be Well, Be loved,

Geoffrey Smith, August 2024, Kenai riverbank, Alaska.


Citation:

National Parks Service, Kenai Fjords National Park



Whale-fall ecosystems: recent insights into ecology, paleoecology, and evolution



an original oil painting by Geoffrey Smith of sea lions huddled on ice

On Ice

I was inspired to paint this 48 x 72 original oil on canvas I was inspired to paint this 48" x 72" original oil on canvas after spending a day in Northwestern Glacier in Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park. I was charmed by the harbor seals hauled up on the ice, and I wanted to share that experience with you. CLICK HERE


A Warm Hug original oil painting by Geoffrey Smith of a mother and child otter in water cuddling

A Warm Hug

I was inspired to paint this 16 x 20 original oil on canvas after spending a day in Northwestern Glacier in Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park. I fell in love with this Mother Sea Otter cuddling her pup. The bond between them was so tender. Seeing them brought joy to my heart. CLICK HERE


an original oil painting by Geoffrey Smith of a proud male sea lion

Pride of the Sea

I was inspired to paint this 16 x 20 original oil on canvas after spending a day in Northwestern Glacier in Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park. My family and I were blessed to observe a Stellar Sea Lion herd. The proud dominant Bull Male lifted his face to the sky, he barked and roared as his harem rested on the rocks. He was magnificent, I was inspired to capture his bold pride. CLICK HERE






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