Alaska day 10: Ketchikan, Alaska (July 20)

Ketchikan is the First city of Alaska - as it is first city anyone reaches from the lower 48!   it is called the Gateway City.  Ketchikan is, actually, on an island - Revillagigedo Island.  It is the 9th largest island in the archipelago here, and it is actually larger than Conneticut.  The city if Ketchikan seems much larger than Juneau, at least the downtown area,  but really isn't.   Juneau has 32,000 permanent residents (it is the capital),  but Ketchikan has only 13,686 in the area.  And fishing is its primary industry - as this is a Huge area for Salmon - they return here to spawn.  Lots and Lots of salmon.   and the salmon were running when we were there.  See the pictures toward the end of this entry .

Our goal today was to see eagles - and we were extremely successful!  We saw at least 15 eagles, and 7 nests.    It's amazing how big these eagles are.  Also, they return to the same next each year, and improve it each year.  Some of the nests are amazingly large. 

We took a cruise to see Totem Poles, Lighthouses, and Eagles.  

Totem poles are much more evident in Southeast  Alaska.  This is due mostly to the fact that the ecological system here is a trmperate rain forest.  Ketchikan measures their rainfall in feet, rather than inches.  They had 13 FEET of rainfall last year.   Ketchikan even holds the title of 'Rainfall Capital of the Unites States'.   As a result, their trees are much larger than other regions of Alaska.  Totem poles use Western Red Cedar trees, which grow very, very tall.

The Tlingit people are considered the First Nation of the Inside Oassage, and we're considered to be the first tribes to transition from nomadic to settled lifestyles.  Ketchikan was a perfect place for that has it had an abundance of salmon and berries.    As this is still Alaska, they had plenty of time in the summer (very title darkness) to hunt  and harvest, but winters were also very dark.  During the winter, the clans would spend their indoor time telling stories, and totem poles were physical story boards.

The three main symbols on a totem pole are the Raven, Eagle, and Bear.  

Gurad island Light House below.  There were some harbor seals playing on the left side of the island as well, 

Inn another island (Rock Island #2), the were a lot of harbor seals sunbathing .  Trust me - that is what those sausage looking animals in the beach are.

If you look closely below, about 1/4 way down that big tree, you can see an eagle sitting in a nest.  That nest has been there for at least 10 years.  They settled on right after the house was built.  I guess they wanted company.

After our boat cruise,we went into Ketchican to seethe salmon running.  it was absolutely fascinating.  The snow melt is rushing down the stream - cold and fast, and most of the stream is rapids.  

And the salmon swim UP stream to get to their spawning grounds.   Watching them make the attempt was hypnotizing.  After they have made it through the edition above, there is a small section that is calm.  You could see the salmon in pools preparing themselves.  You felt as life you could hear them "no, tht's okay - you go first". "really, it's okay for you to go in front".   

And then they would go for it . .

Yes, at 4 o'clock, that is a salmon jumping up river.   How cool is that.  (it did take almost 20 shots to get that picture) 

Did you on know there are 5 major types of Salmon?

Chum (dog),   Sock-eye (Red),   King (Chinook),  Silver (Coho),  and  Pink 

And, by the way, only the King (Chinook) return to the ocean after spawning.

Here I am with a totem pole thT replicats the Tory of the Fog Wonan - who controls the salmon.  She is responsible for the salmon returning to spawn every year. 

And then, walking amongst the shops, a pair of eagles came swooping through, and landed in a pair of trees above us - talking to each other.  It was fascinating listening to the different sounds they made.  

The larger of the two (we believe it to be the female) sat jut above us, in th tip of the tree,  for the who,e time we were there.

 Interestingly, a shop owner commented that while we find them wonderful and amazing, he doesn't when they are making all this racket at 3am, and another shop keeper commented that you also had to be very careful of your pets - the eagles were very well known for taking pet cats left outdoors.