Incredibly I have been in Hoonah, Alaska for an entire week already. There is so much to see, learn, and do in Southeast Alaska that I cannot wait to dive into life here more fully, but I hope to give you a small taste of what I have experienced up this point and foreshadow future opportunities.

Seeing as the community is along the rich waters of Port Frederick and the Pacific Ocean there is strong interest in the cycles of fish. The chatter throughout town is that the herring will be here any day and will fuel an entire diverse ecosystem. Once they arrive the whales, salmon, halibut, eagles, bears, and much more will all follow in short order. Four types of salmon may be commonly caught by simply casting a spoon from shore, and if you have a boat, the opportunity of a 300 pound halibut is just a stones throw away. I was told that whales bubble feed underneath the docks on the Hoonah Harbor. The waters here are so clear that if they are near the docks you can likely watch their underwater feeding before they break the surface.  Once the salmon are in the rivers, the highest concentration of brown bears in the world will flock to the rivers to fatten up on salmon for the winter.  All of these wildlife will present photographic opportunities that I cannot wait to shoot!

Clouds and rain are a staple of Southeast Alaska and fuel the temperate rain forests containing mammoth spruces, hemlocks and cedars growing to over 200 feet in height. Some regions of Southeast receive over 200 inches of rain each year and never seem to have cloudless nights. To my delight I was presented with a relative rarity in Southeast Alaska : clear skies. There are very few large towns in Southeast and light pollution is minimal. The conditions are perfect for night photography. I ambled my truck filled with camera gear high above the ocean to Gobbler’s Knob. From there the Milky Way stretched out in front of me and the aurora emanated from the far northern horizon. I listened to the sound of Long-tailed Ducks from the ocean below, the rumbled of diesel boats, and my own heartbeat. Certainly a memorable night more easily expressed through photos! The photographs below are a slice from Hoonah which I look forward to embellishing on and bringing your more of!

The ferry of the Alaska Marine Highway System drops me off in Hoonah, Alaska.

The rivers of Southeast Alaska are fed by high rainfall and snowpack from the mountains. They flow through a lush temperate rainforest.

Old hemlock or spruce criss-cross over a fast-flowing river in Hoonah, Alaska

A vibrant sunset reflects off the inter-tidal zone in Hoonah, Alaska

Sunset at Icy Strait Point

Panoramic image of an incredible sunset at Icy Strait Point.

A Great Blue Heron perches in the last light of day

The Milky Way and Aurora stretch over Port Frederick in Hoonah, Alaska

The Milky Way and Aurora stretch over Port Frederick in Hoonah, Alaska

The Milky Way and Aurora stretch over Port Frederick in Hoonah, Alaska

A single image capturing the beauty of the Milky Way from Hoonah, Alaska

Alone on Gobber’s Knob, but accompanied by the aurora and the Milky Way.

As the tide goes out, hundreds of star fish are found along the shoreline of Hoonah.

A blue mussel clings to the rocks exposed by low tide at Icy Strait Point

Seals are common here in Hoonah, although I am not sure of the species on this particular one.

Stellar’s Jay at Icy Strait Point

Ear Mountain rises up above the road to 3,400 feet from sea level.

A bit of aurora borealis in Hoonah, Alaska

Humpback whales swim up and down Port Frederick. They are only just arriving, and sightings close to shore along the docks will be common!

A mature bald eagle feeds on the remains of seal along the shoreline of Icy Strait Point

A mature bald eagle feeds on the remains of seal along the shoreline of Icy Strait Point

A Common Raven awaits a chance at a meal of seal.

A Common Raven makes his move and sneaks in for a bit of seal meat at Icy Strait Point

A mature Bald Eagle takes a break from cleaning up a seal carcass at Icy Strait Point