Sitka was the chosen home of the Kiksadi Clan of the Tlingit Indians until 1799 when Russian explorers arrived and Alexander Baranof, Manager of the Russian-American Company and built a fort. The Tlingits attacked and destroyed the fort but Baranof retaliated and spied the natives out of the area and renamed it New Archangel.
Rich wildlife in the area, particular Sea Otter, allowed the Russian-American Company to flourish but by 1867 they had nearly exterminated Sea Otters and as then Russians lost interest the United States bought Alaska from the Russians for £7.2 million. The transfer ceremony took place in Sitka and today the local culture is a mix of Tlingit, Russian and American, particularly today - Independence day when all sorts of events were taking place including a massive water fight between the local fire brigade and the US Coastguard!
I had the morning free to explore this charming little town and some of Southeast Alaska's most famous landmarks including the onion dome of the St Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
In the afternoon I took a Sea Otter and Wildlife excursion for turned out to the first of three days of fantastic Wildlife spotting. The weather was so calm that we were able to sail some 15 miles out form Sitka to the waters below Mt Egremont - an in-active volcano. Our first sighting was a pod of Orcas (Killer Whales - in fact they are not whales at all but the largest species of Dolphin) known as ferocious hunters. Today they were hunting along the shoreline in shallow water and so occasionally we were able to catch a glimpse of their distinctive white underbelly.
Next came Horned Puffins (See photo) - excellent swimmers but have to flap their wings mad,o so stay airborne. Thick billed Black Murres Nested on the sheer rock faces, their eggs delicately designed to balance perfectly in small indentations in the rock so that the eggs rotate rather than fall off the ledge.
Finally came a "raft" of Sea Otters literally 50 or so animals all lying on their backs in amongst a forest of Kelp seaweed - this helps to calm the sea and to prevent them from floating away as they sleep they wrap themselves in the strands of kelp. Sea Otters are often referred to as nature's clowns as they love to play and frolic. Alaskan Sea Otters grow to about 4-5 feet in length and live in these social groups known as rafts. Otters swim on their backs paddling forward using their back feet. They feed on clams, shellfish and fish using their tummies as tables.
So valuable were Sea Otter pelts that they were described as "soft gold". Unlike other marine mammals Sea Otters have no blubber to keep them warm instead they have evolved with a multi-layered coat that traps bubbles of air close to their bodies. To stay warm otters have to keep their coats clean and fluffy. Despite being hunted to near extinction and the ravages of The Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 otters are now thriving again.
A wonderful afternoon in rare smooth seas and sunshine and it was just to get better on subsequent days.
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