Leaving Sitka, we retraced our route through Sergius Narrows to Peril Strait, returning to the small False Island government dock. Friday we began making way to the next stop, tiny Ell Cove on the east side of Baranof Island. Expecting choppy seas as we turned south down Chatham Strait, we were grateful to discover calm, flat water. Wind was soft and the current was a graceful push south – a light following sea. With such favorable conditions, it’s tempting to keep moving on, but once we poked into Ell we were sold on its cozy feel.

Little, with only enough room for a few boats, we found steep walls of spruce, hemlock and cedar, and a good muddy bottom that would hold well; just what you want for a relaxing night on the hook. The L-shape of the cove protects it from Chatham Strait winds and waves. One other vessel was there – boaters from Wrangell on a sister Offshore called “Burnin’ Daylight”; what a nice surprise to see them again!

We set anchor, got the dinghy down, picked up friends on Free Spirit, and headed to Hidden Falls Fish Hatchery, a 20 minute ride from our anchorage. The hatchery was a recommendation for possible bear viewing from a Petersburg fisherman weeks earlier; we were in the area and decided to explore. It was pure luck that we arrived at low tide, when salmon are plentiful and trying to get upstream, because area bears were there to take advantage of the feast. Their actions were spellbinding.

We watched a mama with three cubs share fish with her offspring, then grab something for herself. Seems very human, doesn’t it? Then, a male rounded the corner and lumbered with huge paws down rocks to do his fishing, grabbing a salmon, swatting it to burst the fish open, and consuming just the red eggs. Next, a larger male appeared, and the first one scooted away. Did they have history? Was the larger one an alpha? Knowing little about bear behavior, all we could do was speculate. We did learn that with that much available food, bears will select salmon parts with highest fat content: brains, skin and roe. We watched them make a gory mess as they picked out parts of salmon they wanted, leaving the rest to rot.

Brown bears this far north hibernate a long time, from about November until March, so they eat all summer and fall, storing up for winter. With abundant salmon to consume, they showed no interest in us.

We finally tore ourselves away, grateful for the opportunity to observe. On the dinghy ride back to Ell Cove we saw more brown bears: a mama with two cubs playing on the beach, then another on the shores in our tiny anchorage, maybe looking for clams, crabs or berries.

This afternoon we’re at anchor in Red Bluff Bay, a fjord on Baranof Island, with deep blue skies, steep granite walls, and ice fields on mountain peaks. It’s our own little Switzerland. Cue the brown bear that greeted us when we entered.